Tupelo High School students ride a new wave of change every year, transitioning between new classes, molding into new social groups, and preparing for college. The turbulent trek through adolescence and high school are considered to be the most trying times of our lives. Provocative dance moves and peer pressure seem to drown out what many want to enjoy in high school, and expressing one’s individuality is a challenge in such a hyper-connected world.

For many students, the THS band program has provided an outlet its members use to let their creativity flow and dedicate themselves to what they love most: music.

So they made it to the high school, where do they go now? How will they maintain this tradition of excellence on the road to the state championship?

For many, it’s not about what they can be by themselves, but what they can be together.

“Band is basically a family,” said Gabby Spencer, a flute and piccolo player and section leader. “We’re all really close…and we bond together as one.”

Patrick Knight, the saxophone captain, appreciates band for more than just making music.

“We have matured as a group,” Knight said. “We are becoming a whole as opposed to last year.”

Drumline captain David Neely has been a member of the award-winning THS percussion section since 2011.

“This year as a whole I’ve been pretty excited,” Neely said. “I think we’ll do very well, and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen.”

Being a band member at the most populous high school in the state requires dedication. Students such as Eli McCaleb, the band’s mellophone section leader and a seasoned member of the THS bowling team, juggle several extracurricular activities.

“Band comes first,” McCaleb said. “It’s hard balancing everything I do in addition to being a band member, but I try to make band my top priority.”

Though the road to the state championship can be lengthy and trying, the THS band’s show concept this year,  “You’re Not Alone,” touches both members and spectators alike.

“Regardless of what you go through in life, there’s always going to be someone there for you,” mellophone co-captain Jazlynn Franklin said. “Someone is always watching you, regardless of what you encounter in life.”

The state championship will be Nov. 1 in Clinton.