Photo by Erin Nelson.
The Spartans marching band practices for the 2023 halftime show at Mountain Brook High School on Aug. 10.
The Mountain Brook High School marching band is gearing up with a new group of students for Friday Night Lights.
The band spent many hot summer days preparing for their halftime show at the Spartans football games.
The band is under the direction of Mountain Brook grad James Rogers, the director of bands for Mountain Brook Schools. He said he is looking forward to serving the community and continuing to represent Mountain Brook throughout the Southeast.
Rogers came to Mountain Brook in 2017 and served as the assistant band director for one year, where he was integral in returning the beginning bands back to the elementary schools. The next year, he became the associate band director at Mountain Brook Junior High, where he tripled the size of the program and created the MBJH Concert band and Leadership Council.
Prior to his time at Mountain Brook, Rogers served as the director of bands at Montevallo High School and Childersburg High School. This is his 12th year in teaching.
Working with Rogers on the staff are Michelle Smith, assistant band director, and Sarah Haymon, associate director of bands.
There are 100 members in the Spartans marching band, which has grown every year for the past six years, and the overall program (6th-12th grade) has more than doubled in that timeframe.
This year’s halftime performance is all about the piano and will feature the music of Billy Joel, Scott Joplin, Queen, Adele and Coldplay.
The band is led by drum major Blayne Hannon and band captains Lydia Loglisci and Ann Tillery Moak.
Last year, the band participated in the Pell City Marching Band Festival, where it received straight superior ratings and also won best in class in percussion and dance line.
In addition to performing at all of the Mountain Brook football games, the band will march at the Hewitt-Trussville Marching Invitational in October and perform at the Mystics of Mountain Brook Halloween parade, the city of Mountain Brook Holiday Parade and numerous other community events throughout the year.
