With the football playoffs having just concluded and basketball season in full swing, the parents of student-athletes and cheerleaders are often nearly as busy as the athletes themselves.
And, of course, the band is, pardon the pun, instrumental in many activities as well.
But sometimes lost in this mix are the band parents — the men and women whose students get the fans fired up, demonstrate unparalleled devotion to their schools' teams and significantly contribute to the symphonic ambiance that comprises a high school sporting event in the state of Texas.
Two such parents are Tommy and Brea Darnell whose son Luke is a member of the Trinity Christian Academy drum line, where he plays the snare drum.
Brea Darnell said that while most of the school year is pretty hectic for her and Tommy, the fall can be especially active.
"Football season is the busiest, as it shares the same time as a few volleyball game performances and the big state competition," Brea said.
Events require a lot of prep work for band parents, and on the day of a drum line performance, Brea said her day is pretty full.
"We know exactly where we will be that night — there on the sidelines at the game or watching the drum line competition from the crowd,” Brea said. “We make sure he remembers his binder with his music and that he has the wardrobe for the performance. Oftentimes the different home games have fun themes like neon or camouflage.
“At home games, we rotate meal duties among the parents, so we get to eat before the game with the drum line, and coach (Chris) Dorrell (director of percussion, assistant volleyball coach) in their drum dojo. It's an awesome group of students and friends that welcome us in and show gratitude for the support the parents give them."
But even when things are planned out to the last detail, the Darnells and other drum line parents will sometimes have to call audibles to something unexpected.
Brea said that she and Tommy try to take this in stride.
"There are sometimes late changes, where there is an opportunity to perform somewhere like a volleyball game or another school function," Brea said. "This time in life is fleeting, and as parents, we recognize it far more than our kids. So any opportunity to see him play is a real blessing, not an inconvenience."
Tommy Darnell agrees and said the experience itself and what it means to Luke is what makes it special for him and Brea.
"There is a lot of pride, like anything you see your son or daughter take on with commitment and passion,” Tommy said. “I am always proud of the dedication to practice time he puts in and how hard he tries to deliver each performance perfectly. I don't know how to play an instrument myself, so maybe I'm easily impressed, but I think he and the drum line might each be as good as Keith Moon or Neil Peart."
That being said, Tommy agrees with his wife that there are some unique challenges at times.
"It can be a challenge when a road game is really far away, as we have a younger daughter,” Tommy said. “So it usually means only one of us may get to go or will need to get him home really late from the school."
On the flip side of that is a great sense of camaraderie that exists among the parents of drum line students who work arduously to ensure that performances go off without a hitch.
"The drum line is relatively small, with a lot of carryover from one year to the next,” Tommy said. “So you get to spend a good bit of time with the other parents at pre-game meals or near one another at the games. We are really fortunate to share the drum line with an incredible group of parents, all cheering for the kids."
Tommy said that the time he and Brea put into being drum line parents is worth it because of all that their son is gaining from the experience, something they both hope he cherishes forever.
"I hope more than anything that he takes away the memories of the friendships and accomplishments as a group,” Tommy said. “He tackled something he knew nothing about and with hard work and the help of his team and coach Dorrell, he has excelled at it."
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