Saugus school band eager to show its pep

SAUGUS – The Saugus High School band doesn?t have the numbers it used to.But if new band director Justin Jones has his way, Saugus High could see a revival of the glory days when close to 100 students participated.?I can tell you at the elementary level there are bigger waves coming up,” said Jones. “I have about 130 kids signed up for fourth-grade band. Our goal is to get back to what Saugus once had. I?ve seen photos of 100-piece marching bands from the ?40s,?50s and ?60s. We would like to get back to that.”Saugus had to abandon its traditional marching band and transform it into a pep band as the number of band members hovered at 30. The pep band spends its time in the stands playing at football games instead of marching.?Saugus has a pretty proud tradition of being a big marching band school,” said Jones. “But it?s dwindled as years have gone by. We tried to maintain it as a marching band, but we decided this year to go with a pep band.”At a recent rehearsal, 14 students in red-and-white striped rugby shirts practiced staples like “Louie Louie,” “Wipeout,” “Fun Fun Fun” by the Beach Boys and the Wilson Pickett classic “Land of 1,000 Dances.”Now that the band has more time to practice music rather than marching, they can work on some more modern songs like “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, said Jones, which is just fine for senior tenor saxophone player Brendan Reach.?I like the music we?re playing,” said Reach. “I like that we?re playing some pop songs that people in the crowd can recognize. I think the fact that we?re more of a pep band is going to help. All the young kids are going to think it?s cooler than marching around in our old uniforms.”Principal Joseph Diorio said the new incarnation of the band should help boost interest in music at the high school.?It adds great spirit,” said Diorio. “I think our teacher has developed a renewed interest in music with the kids. I think with the limited numbers that we?ve had in the past, being out in the field wasn?t a positive experience. It?s better that they?re all together showing their support and wearing their rugby shirts.”It?s these rugby shirts that Jones said is making the students stand out. By being more visible, he said it creates more of a college football-like atmosphere.?We?re trying to be more like a college pep band,” said Jones. “Everyone can recognize us with these.”This is Jones? third year as a band director in the Saugus school district, and his first year at the high school. As a former pep band player at his high school in Maine, Jones said he sees kids having more options to choose from over band.?I think if you talk to a lot of band directors, they?d say it?s a lot of competing interests these days with sports and different clubs,” said Jones. “The kids are getting pulled every which way.”Jones also said the time commitment needed is a factor, as students spend most of their Saturdays playing at games while practicing on Thursday nights and marching in various town parades.But even though Saugus doesn?t have the numbers for a full marching band, Jones said he sees a big future for the current pep band.?What we?re doing right now is a good first step,” said Jones. “Being visible, even just as simple as wearing the shirts, but also having the kids be happy and look happy and have fun performing. That?s going to get other people excited about the band.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @MattTempesta.