Bingham band: Holly Bennett profile

In early January, I interviewed Holly Bennett, who was the Junior Drum Major for the school's marching band. She recently moved from California and was almost immediately recognized as someone who could help Bingham keep moving up in the local ranks. Here is the article that will appear in the Bingham 2012 band yearbook.

Holly Bennett:

 

Her California background should
help Bingham become even better
 
Bruce Smith
Matchup

             Holly Bennett’s potential to help the Bingham Marching Band was noticed almost immediately.

            Bennett moved to South Jordan from San Diego in Dec. 2011 and approached band director Darin Graber shortly afterward.
            “I figured she would be fantastic,” Graber said. “She knows when it’s time to be serious and when to have fun. The kids gravitated to her right away.”
            Two of Bennett’s older sisters were drum majors in high school.
            “I didn’t want to do it,” she said. “It’s about leading the band that you can’t do from any other position. I also got to know everyone, instead of a small group. It introduced me (to Bingham) in a positive way.”
            Bennett came to Bingham’s late-summer band camp with a specific goal: to learn and remember every member’s name.
            The rest is history and, since she is a junior, Bennett’s full impact on the band won’t be completed until next year when she finishes her term as the Senior Drum Major. Her family moved to Utah when her father received a new job.
            Bennett can play the piano, guitar, flute and tuba. She said she played in her school’s tuba section and the move was delayed until the California marching band season ended. She said the bands there are competitive and she hoped her experience there could help Bingham to even higher standards.
            “What makes a good band is real unity,” she said. “They have to feel what they’re playing, not just going through the notes. When they do that, the audience can feel it, too.”
            Bennett felt that Bingham’s success at the Bands of America competition in St. George was the highlight of the season, and she was overwhelmed – and almost came to tears – when the other teams gave Bingham a rousing overation.
            She said it was difficult to tell if the BOA show was Bingham’s finest performance.
            “It’s hard to pinpoint the best one,” she recalled. “Maybe it was all the adrenaline I was feeling at the time, but it was one of our best.”