Marching on
WEEKI WACHEE –
When Alexis Pletincks decided to join the band at Weeki Wachee High School, she didn’t know what to expect coming into a brand new school with no set program.
Having spent her freshman year in the band at Springstead High School, whose band has placed in the top five at the Florida Marching Band Championships for the past 10 years, Pletincks knows the commitment it takes to create a successful band.
But only in its second year, the Weeki Wachee marching band has already built a strong foundation.
The band, also known as “The Sound of the Hornets,” competed in its first competition Oct. 15 at Tarpon Springs High School, placing second out of six bands in the 1A division of the Florida Marching Band Coalition, and taking home the “Best in Class Visual Performance” award.
A mixture of freshmen, sophomores and juniors make up the 32-member band. The state’s largest division size is 5A, which encompasses bands that can have as many as 150 members.
Pletincks, 16, said being with the band since the beginning, when only a handful of students joined and practices were held at Fox Chapel Middle School, has given her the confidence to take on the leadership role of drum major.
“It’s very difficult to start from scratch, but I’ve already learned so much,” she said. “I think more of the kids are talking about the band and we are getting our vibe and reputation out there.”
For the next month, the Hornets will spend every Tuesday and Thursday evening practicing in preparation of upcoming competitions, including one Saturday at Largo High and others Nov. 5 at River Ridge High and Nov. 12 at North Marion High in Ocala.
If they earn enough points from those competitions, the band will qualify for the state semifinals Nov. 19 in Tampa.
Pletincks, who plays the French horn and mellophone, said balancing time between band practice, chorus rehearsals and school work helps her develop necessary leadership traits.
“I try my best to lead them but I’m still learning every day,” she said. “There’s not a book on it, so it’s a lot of me learning from my mistakes and progressing from there.”
Band director Michael Miller attributes the band’s early achievements to the students’ hard work and dedication.
“We’re trying to be the best that we can be,” he said. “It’s all going to come down to how hard we work.
“We try to build strong musicians but also strong human beings.”
As his first job out of college, Miller, 25, said it’s exciting to start with a clean slate and establish a group philosophy from the start.
“Our motto is, ‘All for one and one for all,'” he said. “I’ve got great students, great parents, great facilities, great administration. I’ve been the luckiest band director in the world.”
Pletincks and Miller’s goals for the future are simple — continue improving while creating a family environment on and off the field.
“We have to build up our skills,” she said. “We have a great group of kids. I’m really proud to lead this band, and we’ve come so far since we started.”
