Scarlet Knights 'on time' for new season

Time is of the essence during the Barnwell Scarlet Knights Marching Band’s upcoming season. This year, the marching band will take to the field to perform a clock themed show.

Director Dawn Vickery draws inspiration to create each year’s show from the students she is teaching, and has done this since she began teaching at Barnwell High School (BHS) in 2017.

With 34 dedicated members, the Scarlet Knights have been working tirelessly in the two weeks of band camp before school starts to perfect their performance.

Drum major Holly Thomas will be a senior this upcoming school year. Prior to holding this position, she was the woodwind captain for a few years and played saxophone.

Thomas’ interest in music began when she was in sixth grade in the Barnwell band room. However, being in a band was something she never saw herself doing at the time.

“I'd never even thought about playing an instrument really, it was something I kind of just fell in love with,” said Thomas.

“When I first came into the band, I knew I wanted to be drum major for at least my senior year,” said Thomas. “I feel like you represent the whole band.”

As drum major, Thomas leads her bandmates from a platform so she can ensure everyone has straight lines and solid posture.

“You miss out on all the playing and the marching, but you learn more leadership skills and you learn to deal with people and how to influence other people,” said Thomas, who finds one of her favorite parts about being drum major is helping Vickery teach.

“I like being able to help Mrs. Vickery stay on top of everything,” said Thomas. She plans to continue following her musical talents at the University of South Carolina in Columbia next fall to study medicine.

Jasmine Brown, a BHS alum and current senior at Limestone University studying saxophone performance, was formerly Vickery’s student and Scarlet Knight. Brown now stands aside Vickery in the tower and assists in directing the band during camp.

“When she asked me to come back so I could have more teaching opportunities, I was very excited,” said Brown enthusiastically.

“I always loved going to band class. There was never a day that I didn't want to go to band class because it’s a great way for me to express myself,” said Brown who started playing in band in sixth grade. “It's something new, and I love to learn something new.”

Aside from her love for music and marching band, Brown finds her passion extends to education as well. Brown plans to graduate in May 2023 with a degree in general music and begin her career in the field.

“Hopefully I can be just like her one day,” said Brown about Vickery.

Vickery’s career in music began when she was 13 and started playing the trombone. However, she joined her school band for a reason outside of music.

“Way back in the day when I was like 12 or 13, you got to pick your middle school electives. There was this really cute boy that I wanted to sit beside, his name was Kenny Klein,” said Vickery.

“So, I joined the band to sit beside him, and that's why I joined,” said Vickery. “Then I fell in love with it.”

She took this love for music to Winthrop University where she studied trombone performance in her undergraduate years and later received a master’s degree in education. Her first year teaching was in 2008 at Richland One Schools in Columbia.

When Vickery came to BHS in 2017, she became part of the long-standing history of the Scarlet Knights.

“The Scarlet Knights have a really long history here,” said Vickery. “I think our charter was like 1964-ish.”

“The school has a really long history of band, the kids are great, and the community's supportive,” said Vickery.

“I just can't wait to see them get out there and make music for the community,” said Vickery. “I love watching them have fun.”

This year’s show is called ‘Time After Time’ and carries a clock theme in both choice of music and movement.

“Our opener is “Clocks” by Coldplay, and then the second movement is “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper, and then the closer is original music, but it uses a lot of the Big Ben chime,” said Vickery, who believes the show has great visual potential.

“I love this show this year,” said senior clarinet player Kristin Cave, whose interest in instruments grew from watching others.

“I used to see the older people play music and play their instruments, and I thought it was cool,” said Cave.

The two weeks from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. band members spend at band camp are described by both Cave and Vickery as hot.

The musicians are practicing on the field in the first half of the day and then move inside by midday once the temperature begins to increase.

“Then in the morning I have the full band, so we're outside. Then in the afternoons, we're inside working on music or color guard, choreography, stuff like that,” said Vickery.

The ages of the students who compose the marching band range from eighth grade to seniors, some of which Vickery has taught since her first year at BHS.

“Some of these kids I've taught since they were in sixth,” said Vickery. “I've known these kids for a long time, and my juniors this year were my sixth graders when I came to the district.”

‘Time After Time’ will also be performed by the Scarlet Knights at competitions, which the team is looking forward to.

“I'm excited for competitions,” said Cave. “We get to see other bands and meet different people, and we just have a good time.”

“My favorite thing for a judge to say about my band is they look like they're having a good time out there,” said Vickery.

One senior flute player kept a smile on his face through each step.

Jonathan Roberts initially became interested in music from a place of curiosity.

“I was in sixth grade and I wanted to try something different,” said Roberts who figured “Hey, I should play the flute or whatever, because I didn't know the instruments like that,” at the time he said.

“It was challenging at first, but I just kept going and kept pushing. And now I’m a senior,” said Roberts.

“When I got the chance to do marching band, it really changed the way I played and everything around it,” said Robert. “It really helped.”

Barnwell students can join the marching band in eighth grade after they have had experience with their instrument.

“They have to have been playing their instrument for a few years before I let them do marching band,” said Vickery. “In this district, we start in fifth or sixth grade, kind of depending on the year, and then I don't let them join the marching band until eighth grade. They have to have a few years of playing their instrument to master the fundamentals.”

The Scarlet Knights have a full season ahead of them. To see ‘Time After Time’ attend a Warhorse football game or a marching band competition.