Musician of the Month

It’s common to hear the names of your local football stars over the intercom, but what about the stars in the stands? Others who dedicate countless hours to practice after school? The leaders of the crowd?

Tucker High School’s band, orchestra, and chorus remain the unsung heroes of school pride. It takes just as much commitment and grit to be a student musician as it does a student athlete - balancing work and practice, learning the value of a team, and undoubtedly burning with competitive fire and the passion of school spirit - so why shouldn’t they be recognized too?

NOVEMBER - KENNEDY RICHARDS

Within only a year of picking up the instrument, Kennedy Richards has become the trombone section leader for Tucker High School’s Ambush of Sound marching band, while still continuing a separate pathway in the school’s orchestra as a cellist.

When asked about her first experience with music, she details an account where she was drawn to the snare during a Thanksgiving Day Parade - although this encounter is what initially led her to the cello; “I wanted to play snare drum at first but the line to try out for it was too long, so I stepped into the orchestra room and just really liked the way the cello sounded. It really got me hooked on the instrument and I fell in love with it.”

Kennedy says that even though what drives her to continue pursuing music has changed over the years, n she feels she has fallen in love with music itself, and loves the way she feels when she plays. She plans to continue playing through college, serving as one her greatest motivations today.

Taking the time to learn to play an instrument takes a lot of effort, perseverance, and discipline. Especially when you feel like you’re not improving - something Kennedy struggles with personally as well; “I learned how to play the trombone very quickly, but I hit a plateau of feeling like there was no improvement at all.”

“The best advice I can give to a new musician, although cliche, is to not give up. There were a bunch of times I felt like giving up because I felt like there was no development, but you just have to keep pushing.”

Visit the Tucker High School Ambush of Sound on Instagram @tucker.band and congratulate them on their SUPERIOR RATING at the Dekalb High School 2022 Marching Band Competition!

DECEMBER - SERGIO MAYO-REYES