By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
It was billed as a “mystery” assembly.
The mystery was unveiled when the Marching Scots – Rim High’s marching band – marched through the halls of two of the mountain’s elementary schools on their way outdoors to the playground.
The Marching Scots performed for the children at Charles Hoffman and Lake Arrowhead Elementary Schools on Tuesday, Nov. 12. They were to perform at Valley of Enchantment Elementary School on Friday, Nov. 15 but the winter storm postponed that appearance.
Drum Major Brenden Watson led the band in a song as the younger students took their places on the playground. As he twirled and tossed his mace into the air, the children gasped and cheered.
Music Director Kari Stebbing called the percussion line to the front of the band to demonstrate their instruments.
The right way to start an assembly, said Kari Stebbing, Rim High’s music director, is with the “Star-Spangled Banner.” With a drum roll, the Marching Scots led the many who joined in singing the national anthem.
The band does a number of drills to make sure they move perfectly, Stebbing explained. “The important thing about being a human and a musician is knowing when you make a mistake – admit you were wrong and figure out how to fix it.”
Brenden then led the band through their drills, with one musician after another intentionally making a mistake and stepping to the side. At the end of the drills, only the cymbal player was left.
While Kaydin blows into his trombone, Colette moves the slide to create the notes.
Stebbing then called forward the leads one at a time who held up their instruments. She asked the elementary students if they could identify each one – snare drum, bass drum, alto sax, baritone sax, sousaphone (which many thought was a tuba), trumpet, clarinet, flute.
“The bigger the instrument,” Stebbing said, “the lower the pitch and the sound.”
After sharing the band’s secret codes – how they know which song to play – the band went into competition mode, marching and playing “Manhattan Beach.” Stebbing shared that they had won second place at a competition the previous week.
At this point in the assembly, the younger students returned to their classrooms while the fourth- and fifth-graders went to the cafeteria for more music education.
Drum Major Brenden Watson tosses his mace high into the air, drawing gasps from the elementary school students.
Brenden demonstrated his use of the mace, tossing it high into the air. Stebbing chose two students to try their hand with it; their comment: It’s really heavy!
And then the high school students stepped forward one by one to demonstrate the sound their instruments make. “Every sound you hear is due to vibrations,” Stebbing said.
Evy, who plays the flute, presses the keys on Avrie’s flute as the Marching Scot blows across the mouthpiece.
As the Marching Scots blew into their instruments, volunteers pressed the buttons on them to create some interesting sounds – Jaden, bari sax; Isaiah, trumpet (“You have to vibrate your face to make a sound,” Stebbing said.); Kaydin, trombone (“Don’t pull the slide too far out,” Stebbing warned.); Boedy, sousaphone; Avrie, flute,.
“Sometimes,” Stebbing told the students, “the instrument chooses you.” She shared that she chose the flute when she was in fourth grade. “It wasn’t a good match. I switched to the sax – and I still play it. It’s not always the first instrument you try that works for you.”
When she asked the musicians if they had initially chosen a different instrument, half of them raised their hands. One went from accordion to trumpet, another from violin to bass drum, a third from flute to percussion.
Stebbing encouraged the elementary school students to consider taking up an instrument. And she thanked the Arrowhead Arts Association for making the assemblies possible.
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