Members of the U.S. Army Field Band made a special stop in Taylor during their national fall tour to share their love of music with band students Thursday, Oct. 24.
The visit featured performances by the Army band’s Chamber Brass and Saxophone Quartet and a portion where the budding musicians could ask the professionals questions about their music or life in the Army.
“There’s not many words to describe (the performances) other than it was beautiful,” said Jeremiah Ruiz, a Taylor High School senior and clarinet player. “It made me cry if I’m gonna be honest. I didn’t even realize it — I just felt the tear just come down.”
The special visit was kickstarted by Welfare Workers Club’s Leslie Hill, who had seen the Army’s jazz band perform in Austin a few years ago and has been trying to get them to visit Taylor ever since.
Then, during Taylor’s MLK Day celebration last year, Hill met District 52 state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, who asked Hill if there was anything she needed help with.
A year later, their partnership fulfilled Hill’s dream.
“That just shows you that this town cares about you and supports you and wants you to do your very best,” Tim Crow, Taylor Independent School District communications and community liaison, told students. “The Army also supports you. That’s why they’re here today.”
Hill shared her own band story with the young music lovers about how she never thought she could join when she was young until a band director encouraged her.
“(As a sixth-grader,) I would sit out on the ground and watch the O. L. Price Band perform … and wish that I could be a part of the band,” she said. “One day, the band director walked up to me, and he said, ‘You want to be in this band, don’t you? … Well, why aren’t you in it?’ And I said, ‘I can’t … My parents can’t afford this.’
“And he said, ‘... You talk to your parents, and you come back and you tell me yes. And, I want you to take the word can’t out of your vocabulary.’ So, I have been opening up my mouth ever since.”
Like Hill had her band director push her forward, Harris Davila shared that she became one of the youngest people serving in the Texas Legislature at 30 years old through the supportive people in her own life and hoped to become that person for the students.
“My job is to fight to make sure your dreams can come true as well,” she said. “If there’s ever anything I can do to help you make your dreams come true, I hope that you’ll come find me.”
