Schools
DHS Band Having Fun and Working Hard
This week's outstanding youth are the members of the Dacula High School Marching Band, directed by Doug Harkness.
Name of nominee: Band
Hours practiced per week: During football season, band members spend two and half hours on two days every week practicing. During summer, students work from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. When band camp starts, practice is from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon. - Thurs. and 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Friday.
Accomplishments: The drum line places first at nearly every competition they enter, and the band as a whole places at many competitions. The band travels by invitation to several places, from Disney World to New York City, to perform. Other events that the band regularly participates in include the Gwinnett County Marching Exhibition and the Georgia Tech band day, where the high school students perform two numbers with the college marching band. The DHS band also attends two local competitions every year.
Find out what's happening in Daculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This year, the band will perform the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, which includes Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. The students will also march onto the football field in brand new attire. Doug Harkness, the band director, says they have the same uniforms they did 19 years ago, when the colors were royal blue and gold. The colors are now navy and gold, so the new uniforms will be navy, gold and white. “The Booster Club does a great job raising money and the county also chips in,” says Harkness.
What makes this group successful: Harkness advocates a “have fun, work hard” attitude. “I think we’re successful because the kids have a good balance between fun and work,” says Harkness. “We don’t have a win-at-all-cost mindset.”