By Kendall Peterson

Sophomore Gabe Boyd was offered a contract from the drum corps of the Spirit of Atlanta to be a part of performing in its 2020 season, so this summer he is going to be touring the United States from June 26 to August 8.  Boyd will be playing the french horn.

In order to receive the contract, he “had to go through two three-day audition camps, of which one of those was a 14-hour rehearsal day where they judged how good my music performance was, how good my marching performance was, how well I could adapt to change in constructive criticism, and how attentive I was in general to rehearsal.”

Boyd said, “It was nice getting a contract so young,” as he was the youngest person at the audition camp. 

“I had to beat out 200 people to make it and that was an experience,” said Boyd.

When he is away, Boyd will have the opportunity to live independently since he is “going to be away from everyone for a long time, except the people I’m marching with and the instructors.”

In the Spirit of Atlanta, “There were 150 musicians on a field, and it’s essentially marching band but without woodwind instruments,” he said.

Boyd enjoys band because he likes seeing “the work ethic of those around me” and he plans on participating in band in the future. He was planning on auditioning for the Spirit of Atlanta for a while and was “encouraged to audition by my dad,” who is PA band director John Boyd, “and by multiple Spirit alumni.”

Band at PA is different from what he will experience at the Spirit of Atlanta because “instead of learning for two weeks how to march, we learn for a full one-and-a-half months, starting on May 16, and we tour the U.S. as opposed to areas around Virginia Beach, for probably a month and a half until August 8,” said Boyd.

“Hopefully, I can do it again in college, but it’s good help for a resume,” said Boyd, “and I don’t think I plan to do it in high school after this because of IB exams and summer.”

Boyd is excited and honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this tour and expects to “come back a little more muscular and with an amazing tan.”