Brilliant band program seeks support to grow

BRILLIANT — Heather Silas is a 1991 graduate of Brilliant High School. She initially went to college to be a music teacher, but switched majors. But now she’s gone full-circle, and volunteers to lead Brilliant High School’s band program.
“I’m technically a volunteer here,” Silas said. “I’m not hired by the county or anything. I just volunteer to teach the band students, and my real job is teaching private students. I’m just kind of mixing those two, and I’m almost working seven days a week at this point. I don’t have a degree in music, although I do plan to take my practice test this fall.”
Silas said smaller 1A schools don’t always have a dedicated teacher unit for the position of band director. As a result, many rely on volunteers. She said Josh Berryhill has helped in years past, but now he’s in school and was unable to help this year. She was asked to step in.
Silas said the biggest need the program has is new instruments, or repairs.
“One of our biggest needs right now is instrument repair,” she said. “When I came here, there was a pile of instruments in the closet, and I took them to Birmingham to have them assessed. Out of all of those, only three were repairable.”
Silas said having a band program is extremely important for students for a number of reasons.
“Band gives students a place to belong,” she said. “Not every kid is going to be able to play football or cheer, or participate in sports. Some kids just aren’t sports kids. But every kid deserves an opportunity to feel something at school. What I find is that some kids are a little timid or feel out of place at school, but the moment they join band, it’s like their whole demeanor changes. They become more confident.
“It teaches them discipline, responsibility, teamwork, perseverance; and it’s also a very emotionally centering activity. Music is one of those things that has a very calming effect, so it’s emotionally regulating. It helps them manage stress and work through challenges.”
Silas added many universities offer scholarships for band, which often stack with other scholarships.
She also highlighted Brilliant’s long tradition of band. For homecoming, former students across three generations came together to play.
“It’s a great way for them to represent their school, and a new chapter for a tradition that matters in this community,” she said. “I think getting this band back up and running is going to make an impact on the community.”
Silas said there are several ways people can help.
“Not everyone has to write a big a check, although I will welcome any big check!” she said. “But just little things like supporting our fundraisers, or reposting our fundraisers on Facebook and getting that information out there all help.”
Silas said she would also love if a trumpet player could volunteer time to teach a clinic. She also encouraged people to continue to encourage the students in band and let them know they’re doing a good job.
Finally, Silas asked the community to encourage education officials and state representatives to fund band and other music programs.
“It can have a big impact on children and the way they feel about themselves, their community and their school,” she said. “We need to make sure we keep music in schools because we need to keep playing and growing.”