Friday afternoon, the Plano Senior High School Band staff turned the tables on band students. Instead of playing their senior concert Friday night, graduating seniors were spectators to their own personal concerts.
"I've got this bass drum that has a pedal on it," said PSHS Assistant Band Director Michael Hernandez. "I'm like a one-man percussion section."
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the end of the year for graduating seniors. The PSHS band staff wanted to make it special, so they're playing the school fight song for three days, seven hours a day, until they get to every graduating band member's home. A fight song tour.
"It's pretty cool they came all the way down to East Plano just to play the fight song for me one last time," Katelyn Knudtson said.
The trio drove to each home, unpacked their instruments, cheered for the student who lives there, and moved onto the next home.
"It's gonna be a rock 'n roll kind of experience, I think," Hernandez said, counting down the trio. "All right boys, we ready? Let's do this. Go Plano!"
The mini-band belted out the fight song in yard, after yard, after yard.
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"It's actually a privilege," senior Jason Villanueva said. "Not many students get to have their teacher come to their house and play for them."
"We have a phrase in the Plano band that says 'same thing, last time, finish strong' and they truly have finished strong," Plano Senior High School Band Director Jason Lewis said. "Anything we can do to help boost some spirits and give them a lasting memory."
Music isn't just putting notes together, it's about bringing people together.
"Well, band has been my life for four years, so it just means a lot," senior Marie Loy said wiping away tears after band teachers played the fight song in her driveway. "I feel like I finally got a proper goodbye."
