In just a month and a half, the Bridgeport High School Marching Band will take the football field, providing pre-game and halftime entertainment to Indian fans.

 

This year, the band will be under the direction of 2015-2016 BHS Drum Major Halee Knight.

 

“I’m so excited, but I’m kind of nervous at the same time. It’s a big responsibility,” said the BHS senior.

 

Knight said she has had her eye on becoming drum major since she was in middle school. She remembers watching the drum major years ago and thinking to herself: “I want to be that good someday.”

 

She said she loves music and the entire high school football game atmosphere.

“The student section loves the band and every time we march by, (the students) always yell for us. They yell out our names and tell us they love us. I love that,” she said. “But what matters to me the most is my group; their motivation, excitement to start new projects and how they always make every challenge as fun as it could possibly be. They are number one priority.”

 

Knight auditioned for the position just prior to the close of the 2014-2015 school year. She admits she had her doubts as to whether she should pursue the position.

 

“When my junior year was about to end, drum major auditions were coming up and I almost didn’t try out,” she said. “As the time drew closer, I was motivated by many members of the band, even Ryan Osborn (last year’s drum major) said I should do it. I even had some graduates from a year ago messaging me and asking me if I was trying out. So after some thinking, I finally put my name up for tryouts.”

 

She said she was quite nervous during auditions, but that she was encouraged by her friends’ votes of confidence. When her name was announced on the school intercom, Knight was ecstatic, she said. So were her classmates.

 

“After the last bell rang, I was greeted with hugs and pats on the back to congratulate me,” she said. “It would have to be one of the best days of my life.”

 

Since being named drum major, Knight participated in the drum major course of study at the WVU Mountaineer Music Leadership Academy, the inaugural training camp that the WVU School of Music and College of Creative Arts developed and provides to regional students.

 

“I met many drum majors from across the state and I made three best friends while I was there,” she said. “We are all excited to see each other throughout the season.”

 

Knight may potentially be seeking a career in music direction so serving as drum major provides ideal background experience for those educational aspirations, she said.

 

She looks forward to this season’s band camp, which starts Monday at BHS.

 

“I’m excited to try out my role and I’m very excited about this year’s field show,” she said. “We’re doing three Egyptian-themed pieces which will be mashed together for a very interesting, energetic - and very beautiful field show.”

 

She said she has often imagined that scene, hundreds of spectators watching from the stands as the band performs its halftime show. She also looks forward to the marching band competitions that await the band’s arrival.

 

“I can’t wait for others to see the many surprises in our show,” she said. “I’m even excited to show my salute I’ve been working on for weeks.”

 

BHS is hosting its first cavalcade competition on Oct. 10.

 

“I couldn’t ask for my senior year to be any better than it is about to be,” she said.

 

She’s also excited, of course, to try on her drum major uniform for the first time.

 

“It was passed down from the last girl who was drum major – Kristen Saab,” Knight said. “I’ll get to try it on and see how it fits.”

 

A bass clarinet player for the BHS Band, Knight was among 31 students chosen this past February for inclusion in the All-Harrison County Band,

 

In addition to music, Knight has diverse interests. For the past couple of years, she has been a forward on the Lady Indians soccer team. She is also an accomplished hunter and a writer.

 

In March of 2013, her mystery/thriller short story, “Let Me In” was published by Xilbris and has since been available in paperback and e-reader at Amazon.com. She’s currently working on her second book, a mystery titled “Looking for Charlie.”

 

She plans to attend West Virginia University upon her BHS graduation. She plans to study either music or criminal justice. 

 

Editor's Note: Knight is pictured above as 2015-2016 BHS Drum Major and last year as a marching band member. She is also pictured with her good friend Mateah Kittle, who will serve as captain of the band's front line this year.