Ava Weekly struggled to produce sound on the brass or woodwinds.
Then she picked up a drumstick in middle school and found her rhythm.
It was love at first beat.
Years later, Weekly is a second-year drum major at Walsh Jesuit High School, leading musicians onto the field on Friday nights with her blond hair tucked into a red cap. She plays multiple instruments and has memorized hundreds of songs. She’s also found incredible harmony in the band community.
“A lot of people see a stereotype of band nerds,” Weekly said. “I see this wonderful group of so many inside jokes, so much fun that nobody else gets.
“It’s almost an exclusive thing.”
She’s also in charge of Walsh Jesuit’s age-old “lucky stick” tradition. Before games, she walks among band peers, taping their instruments with a bright green, tape-wrapped drumstick for good luck. It’s another way to gift nervous musicians with gusto before halftime performances.
The football team may have touched it too, because the Warriors are undefeated after eight games and heading into the playoffs with championship aspirations.
“The band’s job at a game is to help provide energy to the audience, which the audience will feed into the team to help them succeed,” explainedNicholas Ratay, band director at the school in Cuyahoga Falls. “The band gets to be a part of the experience that helps contribute to the team’s success if they win.”
At Walsh Jesuit, a tape-wrapped tradition
On game days, Weekly taps out the familiar rhythm as the home and visiting football teams retreat to locker rooms and musicians ready themselves to march onto the turf. Walsh Jesuit’s band is smaller than those at most rival high schools, so members worry about messing up notes or steps on the field lest spectators notice.
Despite the nerves, they often perform flawlessly.
“My favorite part is the feeling of when everything comes together,” Weekly said. “It’s really rewarding to have worked so hard and to do great in front of all those people.”
From shy to section leader
Weekly didn’t know any students at Walsh Jesuit when she arrived for the first day of band camp as a freshman.
Her mom had to encourage her just to get out of the car. Now she’s grateful. The strangers have become her band brothers and sisters.
After spending so much time together in practice and on the turf, it’s no wonder that band students fuse into a vibrant community. Marching band requires an immense time commitment, especially from upperclassmen.
As a second-year drum major, Weekly has invested hundreds of hours in practice.
The annual summer band camp is a two-week ordeal of six-hour days. Weekly arrives early to welcome new members and stays late to organize instruments.
Musicians learn up to 15 songs each season: four memorized pieces for the halftime show, three for the senior show and a variety of stand tunes played from the bleachers. They practice twice a week to keep routines sharp. Halftime shows are centered around a musical theme; this year, the Warriors are playing music from popular movies.
“We’re learning ‘Everything is Awesome,’” Weekly said. “I think that one’s cool because it’s catchy and nostalgic, so it’s been really fun to learn.”
Coincidentally, when performances come together on the field, Walsh’s musicians embody the song’s lyrics: “Everything is awesome, everything is cool when you’re part of a team.”
The familiar tune keeps morale high before the start of the third quarter.
Game day today, music forever
On game days, Weekly typically meets the band at 4 p.m. for a brief rehearsal and dinner sponsored by a booster club. When traveling to an away game, she is responsible for helping to pack up the drums.
It’s critical that no equipment is left behind.
“I count at least three times,” she said. “Because if we forget one instrument, it’s kind of over.”
Before kickoff, the band changes into its uniforms and gives a pre-game performance, which includes the national anthem and alma mater. Then the musicians travel to the bleachers, where they play for the first two quarters. After performing the halftime show, they get the third quarter off to meet the visiting band. A full game day, start to finish, can last up to six hours.
“Everyone’s pretty tired at the end of games, but it just signifies that we worked really hard,” Weekly said. “And sometimes we’ll go to TGI Fridays, which is a fun little after-band tradition we started.”
Though Weekly will graduate in the spring, she wants to keep music in her life. She plans to join a band in college. She’s also considering a minor in music or film.
Her advice for anyone who likes music?
“Try it,” she said. “Pick up an instrument, because you never know who you’ll meet or how much fun you’ll have.”