School band programs from Lake Linden, Hancock, and Jeffers joined together to debut their community collaborative marching band at BridgeFest. I

n a time where local small band programs are working to revitalize, this was Hancock’s first marching band program in a while.

The school band mostly plays at events like graduation ceremonies, pep rallies, and athletic events. The Lake Linden school band has appeared in the Strawberry Festival and concerts throughout the school year. 

Hancock Public Schools’ Director of Bands Jana Meckler said the band as, “Many of our programs are in the middle of a rebuild post-pandemic, and have endured a lot of director turnover. As we rebuild our programs, Band Slam creates opportunity for a bigger, more powerful and confident marching experience.” 

Band Slam brought about forty students from the middle and high school bands from Hancock, Lake Linden, and Jeffers to the parade.

Superior School of Dance joined them, adding even more life and vibrancy to their showcase. Members of the dance school danced along to the band’s music, and encouraged audience engagement. The band seeks to create “an energetic and positive marching experience for band members and community members alike!” Band Slam members wore bright, neon yellow shirts with ‘Band Slam’ in a paintbrush-stroke font across the front, making them easy to identify. Banners bearing each of the participating schools’ names were displayed within the group as well. 

Meckler said the band loves and respects traditional band music and style, while they also, “want to embrace pop and modern music, which excites our students, energizes a crowd, engages dancers in  a cross-collaborative arts production, and appeals to younger generations.” Mecklers says that being the ones to start the program has been, “rewarding for us as band directors, who also resonate with modern music.” 

Meckler also explained how the directors sought to challenge the students. “We have thrown our students the extra challenge to perform memorized, and most have successfully risen to this challenge. We are excited to debut our collaborative in the 2024 BridgeFest parade!”