BRADENTON – Entering a Braden River band practice means you’re following a strict system.
“Go by the procedures, do exactly what we’ve always been doing, how it’s always done in order, and everything has to be perfect,” drum major Penelope Sugg says about band director Jeramiah Bowman’s system.
It has been successful for him. But when Bowman took over the Braden River marching band in 2016, many upperclassmen still preferred their old band director.
“They knew the procedures for marching band but on a personal level, they missed [their previous band director],” Sugg says.
That led to disappointment at the 2016 State Championship for the then two-time state champions.
“With the school’s reputation, we didn’t place very well,” Sugg remembers.
For the older players at the time, this was a step backwards. They had won a state championship in 2013! But for Penelope, who was a freshman, she didn’t know what that felt like.
“Seeing everyone else cry and all the people who had helped me learn how to march cry, it hurt me and it made me want to earn back what they didn’t get, not only for them but for ourselves so we could make them proud.”
And despite the band’s reputation, Penelope says the band felt like underdogs.
“[We would say] that other bands were more experienced or had more people than us or more players.”
And yet, her sophomore year, they marched forward and took home a state championship. And then again in 2018.
