Havre High marching band prepares for school year

Havre High School band teacher Cullen Hinkle has been working with high school students, in grades 9-12, to get ready for the start of the school year.

Hinkle directed the marching band camp that began July 31 and ran every weekday until Aug. 10 to help begin fine-tuning the students.

Hinkle moved to Montana from Louisiana and started as the Havre High band teacher at the beginning of the 2020 school year.

One of Hinkle's stories is about the pep band students traveling to Missoula in 2022 to perform for their basketball teams at the state play-offs.

In October of last year, the band and the Havre High color guard competed in the Mountain West Marching Band Festival in Pocatello, Idaho, with the color guard placing first in their division.

Another achievement won by the marching band and flag team in the fall of 2022 was an outstanding performance award at the Montana State University Showcase of Bands.

"I am very excited for this year. In my fourth year of teaching band in Havre, this is the strongest marching band that I have had yet. Although we aren't going to competition out of state this year, we are still striving for excellence and hope to have a strong showing at the yearly Showcase of Bands at (Montana State University in) Bozeman on Oct. 7," Hinkle said. "The kids are so hardworking and dedicated, it really makes my job easy and fun."

Havre High senior and drum major Maggie Daniels is helping assist Hinkle with the band.

"Our band program is just so fantastic. It's provided so many opportunities for myself and for really every one of those kids in that room," Daniels said, "This year we are trying to take a little step back and refine ourselves more as an ensemble."

"We've been able to do so much in just the little amount of time we've been here together so far," Daniels said, "I'm very excited to see what they're going to be able to do by the end of the year."

The theme for the show is The Nightmare Before Christmas.

"It's been a really fun time just to sit and geek out to the music," Daniels said, "I think it'll be a good crowd pleaser, it's fun to play the music."

Devin Kovacich is another drum major for the marching band. Some of the other band leaders are section leader Jonah Nixdorf, who plays the trumpet, and Grey Brady, who is a percussion captain.

The marching band's first performance will be Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. for the home Havre High School Blue Pony varsity football game.