Traditionally August has always been a busy month for high school students participating in extra-curricular activities with practices starting for sports and band. This year Dover High School has a new band director, Millersburg native Micah Carrick, previously he was choir director for the Dover Middle School.
I grew up in the Millersburg area and graduated from West Holmes High School in 1997. I then went to Baldwin-Wallace College and graduated in 2001 said Carrick. While I was in high school, our marching band came to the Dover Band Show, and I remember always being impressed with its band program, its style and its great quality program. When I was in college, I did some observation hours with Steve [Stroup, former Dover High School band director] and Joan [Wenzel, Dover Middle School Director]. So when I saw that Dover had a position open, I thought I sure need to apply for that.
Carrick took over the Dover High School band program after the previous director, Steven Stroup, retired in May after 24 years. Dover High School has the distinction of having Ohios first marching band, Carrick hopes to continue the long, rich history at Dover High School.
Dover has a great band tradition, and I think what has made the band so successful in the past has been its ability to stay true to its roots, with the great tradition that the band has had, but also at the same time the ability look ahead to the future. At the start of practices I told the students that I firmly believe that this is just this years edition of the Dover Marching Band; were not going to completely reinvent the band. We have the success of the past to guide us forward, and as we look ahead we want to continue this great tradition so that students who are coming up through school right now, in elementary and middle school, who want to be part of the band can continue in the great band tradition.
Anytime you move into a position such as head director or head coach, its one of those kinds of deals where the buck stops here; when youre in charge of making the final decision on all sorts of things, you rely on your associates for input, but ultimately the responsibility lies at your feet. It takes quite a bit of focus, its different, its exciting, but I ultimately feel that level of responsibility, and thats something I take very seriously. My responsibility to the students, but also to their parents, the community and the school is to make sure that I put my best forward, which is exactly what we ask of the kids.
Its our intention to continue offering a very entertaining half-time experience. When the Dover Band starts to play, the fans should look our way because its going to be an exciting and entertaining time.
