By Brandi Miller / For the FCT

Red Bay High School senior Maggie Bates has a lot of time and energy invested into her musical talent. The senior has been a member of the RBHS Marching Band for seven years. That is seven years of practices, ball games, recitals, half-time performances and too many hours of work to count. While Bates will be leaving the Tiger Band on graduation, she has been awarded a scholarship to march with the Itawamba Community College Indians this fall.

Bates, who plays trumpet, said playing at the next level is something she is looking forward to starting this fall.

“I am most looking forward to playing with a larger group of people and being able to play more advanced music,” said Bates.

RBHS Band instructor Jonathan Hill said Bates’ absence will be felt this fall when the marching band takes the field.

“Maggie has been a tremendous asset for the RBHS Band and will be greatly missed,” Hill said. “We wish her well on all her future endeavors.”

Because Bates has been a member of the RBHS Band for so long, she has practical knowledge and experience to offer underclassmen who are just getting started in marching band.

“Practice would be the first advice I would give to anyone,” said Bates.  “You may not feel like it, but trust me, it will really help.  Learning which notes go to which fingerings helps as well.”

Practice for Bates will begin sometime during the summer. This will be the first time she will hit the practice field with bandmates other than the ones she has come to know and love at RBHS.

“I am definitely going to miss the people at RBHS Band the most,” said Bates. “At practices when things weren’t going too well, it would always be the positive attitudes of my bandmates that go me through.”

Bates is the daughter of Steve and Charlotte Bates and plans to major in art while in college.

“I would like to thank my parents,” said Bates. “If it wasn’t for them helping me buy my trumpet, I wouldn’t even be able to be in band.” Bates also thanked her first band teacher Erin Gilbert, as well as RBHS director Hill.