Making connections with an important neighbor, Killeen ISD high school band students spent Friday afternoon and evening in and around the Phantom Warrior Hood Stadium, special guests of the US Army.
Fortified by lots of ice and water and a nearby cooling station, enthusiastic band, dance and color guard students climbed on military vehicles and learned from soldiers about the rolling weapons.
Some students tried on body armor and handled weapons as soldiers gave instruction and guidance.
Many took advantage of food trucks and gathered in the shade of the stadium to listen to music and break out in line dances.
Elements of the 1st Cavalry Division Band played for the high school band members and each of the five band performed previews of their halftime shows.
Killeen ISD Executive Director of Fine Arts Morganne Davies said the post made contact about the possibility of including the band in the US Army Experience that Fort Hood hosts in the spring for high school athletic programs.
That effort began with one high school, then expanded to two and eventually to all the KISD high school athletic programs male and female and has lately added participants from outside the area.
Sgt. First Class Leon Betts said he learned that marching band season is in the fall so he suggested an event that would bring the band to the post stadium leading into the school year.
Davies was excited, she said, for high school musicians to interact with professional musicians, providing a look at a potential career in fine arts.
After students interacted with soldiers and heard the 1st Cavalry Division Band, they moved into the stadium and prepared for their own band showcase.
The Chaparral, Shoemaker, Killeen, Ellison and Harker Heights high school bands took turns performing portions of their halftime shows. Some ended their time on the field with drumline choruses they perform at the end of halftime during games.
Assistant Fine Arts Director Amy Bennett introduced the bands and gave the audience a primer on the world of band competition.
Each band director or other speaker introduced the bands’ shows.
The Shoemaker show is called “In Pieces,” and is based on a Japanese concept of repairing something broken and making it stronger in the process.
The Harker Heights Red Brigade Band show is called “Midnight Renegade.” It incorporates western props and music.
The Chaparral Bobcat Band show is called “Code of Silence.” It emphasizes the intense family nature of the band and draws musically and visually from mafia-themed media.
The KHS show, “Panachroma,” features classic Americana songs that pay 
homage to some of the country’s most famous and majestic sites.
Ellison’s show this year is called “Boom, Crash, Pow,” a comic book superhero theme.
All the KISD bands are prepping for the start of football season Aug. 27 and 28 and the annual Spirit Spectacular on Sept. 19 leading into UIL marching band competitions.
See photos of the bands’ US Army Experience at www.killeenisd.org/photos
