Holiday Brass Band Performs at Hanes Magnet and Central Office

Each year, for 22 years now, the Holiday Brass Band forms for one day to play holiday music. On Friday, the group played at Hanes Magnet School before heading over to the school’s system’s Administrative Building and playing there.

The members of this incarnation of the band included students from Hanes and Parkland and Reynolds high schools along with a former WS/FC student who now goes to Wake Forest University and people who work for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. That group included Carol Montague-Davis, the assistant superintendent for secondary schools; Brad Oliver, the school system’s director of arts education & summer enrichment programs; Mark Pilson, the lead teacher for music education; Wayne Foster, the Star3 project director, and band directors Mary Kate Bowman-Choat  (Hanes),  Johnathan Hamiel (Parkland) and Derrick James (Reynolds).

When it came time to play “Jingle Bells,” Superintendent Beverly Emory and school board member Jill Tackabery helped out on bells.

“The group is a little different each year,” said Oliver. “We try to keep the tradition going.”

The tradition dates back to the days when Oliver was the band director at Hanes. Over the years, it grew. About 25 people played in the group this year. Members have never played as a group before the day the band forms for the holidays.

“We warm up for a couple of minutes and go to playing,” Oliver said.