GHS Band marches into ‘Darkness’

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Workers were out on the Gonzales High School practice field Monday morning painting stripes across the grass, an even five yards apart. It takes eight steps to get from one line to the next if you are running drills in formation in a marching band.

Those first steps will be taken Wednesday when the whole Apache Band convenes once again to prep for the upcoming marching season. It will also be the first steps for new band directors José Villarreal and Daniel Rodriguez as they adjust to a new band and a new town and look to continue and improve upon the success that the unit has seen of late.

“We had our first meeting [with the band] about a week ago and we also met with parents,” said Villarreal, who is the head band director. “It was a real good meet and greet and we discussed plans for what we are doing for summer camp and our expectations and goals.”

Villarreal comes to town with a resume in music education that ranges from kindergarten to the college level and even drum corps. Previous teaching stints include Laredo, Pecos, Beeville and most recently, Charlotte.

“When I heard the position wass open here I jumped at it,” Villarreal said. “I found out we were needing an assistant band director here so he went ahead and jumped on it. I’m really grateful that he is part of our staff.”

The “he” being referred to is Rodriguez, who has taken a similar path in music and will be the assistant director while also taking head duties at the younger campuses here. He has spent the last eight years in Pleasanton as the junior high director while also teaching marching.

The duo are no strangers. They’ve known each other for 10 years and come to Gonzales as a team looking to do great things. This year’s band will have around 80 marchers but they are already planning for what is to come.   

“Our main goal is to make sure that retention sustains into the high school and that way we can have a 100 piece band and build it up to 120, 140 after that,” Villarreal said.

Rodriguez is a drill writer, which is a great addition to the band. He is hard at work on this year’s marching show, titled “Darkness,” which takes its music from the recent sci-fi film “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

“The show should be different from what you are used to seeing. We’re going in a new direction where it is going to be more cinematic,” Rodriguez said. “It will be just one continuous performance.”

Monday morning was also the first day of leadership camp where the band’s section leaders gathered to learn new fundamentals and get a sense for what the new directors had in store for them. For a band that has seen its share of changes at the director’s podium the past few years, incoming drum major P.J. DeLuna says that their recent success will keep them focused on perhaps another sweepstakes-winning year.

“It’s like a layered cake,” DeLuna said. “You have to build on it.” And that’s what they plan to do. He will join returning drum major Clay Wilkerson, both seniors, as the on-field bandleaders this fall.

“That’s the big thing right now, getting the leadership and the drills down to lay the foundation for the show,” Rodriguez said. “We’re looking forward to playing different music in the stands and just looking forward to a good school year.”

The public will get their first serenade from the band on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. during Meet the Apaches night at Apache Field. Those needing a quicker fix can see the band learning their steps at the practice field by the high school beginning this week.

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