HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Hanceville High School’s Aaron Lopez collected his diploma in May, and in this interview, he talked about some of his favorite memories that he made alongside his friends in the band.
“My favorite memories definitely consisted of performing my trombone solo for the crowd. I would pour so much passion into each performance, and that feeling is always unique. I also loved teaching the rest of the band and seeing a spark ignite from them as they learned something new. It is truly a blessing to see music in younger people. Being around so many band members and friends felt very refreshing and fun. Having good friends definitely made every experience special. I definitely learned patience and a very strong sense of resilience. I’m beyond grateful to have those people in my life.”
Aaron enjoyed being around his band director and learned a lot from him. He talked about a couple of his favorite band competitions, and he will remember and miss so much about being in the band at Hanceville.
“Being around my band director led me to pursue teaching music. I got to see a more personal and professional approach to how music really impacts younger kids. He’s one of my greatest inspirations. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from him was that no matter how hard your situations are, there’s a way to overcome every obstacle,” Lopez said. “The competitions at Gordo High School and Dora High School were definitely my favorite ones. I will always remember and miss the feeling of the music, and the visuals on the field all come together and create something beautiful.”
Aaron was the low-brass section leader his junior year and the band captain his senior year. He enjoyed every second of those experiences and the impact that he had on some of his fellow band members will be something that he will never forget.
“Being the band captain and the low-brass section leader wasn’t very easy, but it was also very rewarding. I definitely learned to come out of my shell and to teach others. Having those experiences has definitely helped shape me into the person I am today,” he said. “I helped them become better musically. However, I feel as though I have had a personal impact on some of them. I even had a kid who was very interested in teaching music because of the reflection I had on his life.”
Aaron listed a few of his favorite school memories as well.
“One of my favorite memories was definitely being in any of my dual enrollment classes. My senior year, I had a chance to finally dissect a frog. In addition, the pep rally events and all of the homecoming weeks we had were always a blast with amazing food,” he said. “Hanceville is a special place because of its close and connected community. You can always find a friend and someone to talk to. It’s a positive community with wonderful people.”
He will remember and miss a lot of people from Hanceville, and it’s extremely important to him to be a role model to the younger kids, in and outside of band and school.
“I will remember and miss the teachers and the staff. They were always there for the students and were incredible people,” he said. “To me, being a role model outside of what I do is very crucial. I always strive to lead by example, and hope that younger people and people around me can also be great in their own ways. My biggest advice to them is to be bold. Always try to achieve success, even when it’s scary at times. Get out of your comfort zones, because you never know what will happen.”
Aaron earned a couple of band and academic scholarships, and he was so happy to have received them. God definitely played a huge role in his life and during his time in the band as well.
“I received a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Memphis for music. In addition, I received band scholarships from UNA, and I also received academic scholarships from both of those schools. I have earned up to $70,000 in scholarships for both schools combined. It was definitely a surreal experience. I never imagined all the hard work to pay off in that way,” he said. “God has helped me through so many troubling times in my life. It was very important to praise Him during the good times as well. If I never had the answer to anything during band or in my life, I knew that God did,” Lopez said. “Jeremiah 29:11 always comes to mind: ‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’. This verse means a lot to me, because it gives me reassurance,” he said. “I have learned that it’s okay to not have all of your plans figured out. God will always guide you to where you need to be, even if you’re uncertain.”
Copyright 2025 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
