Lakeside High School’s Band Program Kicks off New Musical Season

Lakeside High School’s award-winning Viking Marching Band and Concert Band have been making music and delighting audiences for over a half-century, and Fall 2018 is shaping up to be yet another successful season for the young musicians. In addition to entertaining the crowd at all Lakeside football games, the 90+-member Viking Marching Band is slated to perform and compete at a number of venues and special events over the next few months, beginning with the annual DragonCon Parade in downtown Atlanta Saturday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m.

“Lakeside’s Marching Band is the only high school marching band invited to participate in the Dragon Con Parade,” said Lakeside High School Director of Bands David Fairchild, PhD. “This is the largest parade in the city and it’s a lot of fun. We’re honored to be invited back for the fourth time to participate in this Atlanta tradition and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Members of the school’s Concert Band will perform Sept. 6 at 12:30 p.m. on the Community Stage at the Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy Festival, while the Marching Band will energize the crowd at the annual Oak Groove Festival Parade in north DeKalb Oct. 14. Throughout the fall, the Marching Band will participate in judged competitions, and the musicians will come together to offer a free fall concert for the public on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Lakeside High School Fine Arts Auditorium.

“Fall is the busiest season for Marching Band due to all of the halftime performances at Lakeside football games for hundreds of people each week,” said Dr. Fairchild. “The students work over the summer to learn the new music and marching patterns so that they are ready for the very first game. And, while this is an important and fun activity for the Band members, their overall music education and performance opportunities are much more extensive that what the fans see at halftime.”

Later in the fall, Band members will sell cheesecakes and other baked goods to raise funds for Lakeside’s band program, and early in 2019 will join students in Lakeside’s Orchestra and Chorus programs to sell citrus fruits and strawberries. Funds raised are used for a variety of needs including new instruments and instrument repair, guest conductors, competition fees, travel expenses and music costs, among other items.

“DeKalb County is extremely fortunate that Lakeside High School offers an outstanding Band program under the direction of Dr. David Fairchild, whose own music career began when he was a Lakeside student,” said Ellen Murkison, president of the Lakeside Band Association. “In addition to the many awards and accolades the Band has won over the years, I think the strongest measure of its success is that most of Lakeside’s band students join the program as freshmen and stay involved until they graduate. They form strong friendships, have fun and work as a team as they learn how to play one or more instruments.” www.lakesidevikingband.com, www.facebook.com/lakesidevikingband/