By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Merrick Wilson & Contributed
From March 12-18, 2024, the Homewood Patriot Marching Band toured Ireland, getting to experience Irish culture, sight see and most importantly, perform live in both Dublin and Celbridge’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parades.
The first time the Homewood Patriot Marching Band touched down on Irish soil was in 1993, when Pat Morrow–Homewood High School’s second-ever band director–flew 150 people with him overseas to perform in Dublin’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. The Patriots returned again in 1997 under the direction of Ron Pence, who is now the Patriot Marching Band’s director emeritus and jazz band director.
It would not be until 27 years later that Homewood’s beloved band would return to march not only in the national parade, but also in a small town called Celbridge’s community parade–one quite similar to the annual We Love Homewood Day parade. This time, however, more than 500 people–including 150 band family members and 30 school chaperones–would make the trek.
“I had a conversation with a parent, Leigh Lewis, who had mentioned going to Ireland,” Chris Cooper, Homewood High School’s band director, says. “She was in the band in ‘93, and she has a kid in the band now. I said, ‘No, that’s too big. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.’ She was that push that I needed from a parent to go.”
When the pandemic hit, the parades were canceled, and event organizers kept a backlog of bands to invite back. Despite not having performed in Ireland’s festivities in more than two decades, the Patriot Marching Band did apply to be in the parades and were accepted out of numerous applicants within just a week.
“We are the most traveled high school band in the state of Alabama,” Terrance Cobb, the Patriot Marching Band’s assistant director, says. “Getting to make an international journey after such a long time away is one of those things to help continue that legacy of traveling, giving these kids different experiences. We’re excited to share that with them.”
In fact, the Patriot Marching Band was the second parade to perform in the route, only behind a traditional, Irish band. The Patriots were the first American band out of 14 total parade bands to perform, and not surprisingly, they made up the largest band in the entire procession.
“The energy, excitement and adrenaline of marching in front of half a million people in Dublin, Ireland, was amazing,” Ron says. “Being there with my friends and us all experiencing it together was pretty exciting. That moment before the parade steps off, where we’re all standing there and you see what’s about to happen, all of the different floats and all of the different bands are there. There were over 4,000 people that were there performing. Just imagine that energy.”
That feeling transcended the crowd in waves as the Patriot Marching Band processed through Dublin, sporting the ever-true red, white and blue as fans cheered with glee. Chants of “The America Band” thundered with a steady beat as the Patriots did what they do best–march with pride.
“The band looked fantastic, and the crowd loved them,” Jennifer Bird, a Patriot Marching Band parent, says. “Since we lined up hours before the start, we got to know the people standing around us quite well. One group was on a travel tour from Florida. They were excited that we had a child in the parade and were anxiously awaiting Homewood to come marching by. They were cheering even louder than we were. Each and every band member made us so proud at that moment. It was a highlight of the trip.”
While every family member and chaperone boasted the same sentiments, Chris says excellence is not a goal for the Patriot Marching Band. It is a standard.
“I just knew when I took this job, this is what we do,” Chris says of directing the 400-plus member band. “I can’t be scared. I have to attack it.”
The Patriot Marching Band performed several traditional, American tunes such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag” in the parades. As a special tribute to Pat, Chris rewrote one of Pat’s arrangements of “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” that the band first performed in 1993, and the Patriot Marching Band performed it yet again this year.
Chris even invited Pat to attend one of the Patriot Marching Band’s practices, allowing him to see the legacy he created 52 years ago. Him feeling proud was an understatement, Chris says.
“The whole time we were there, I kept thinking how thankful I am for this school system and this band,” Jennifer says. “For many, this was the trip of a lifetime, and it had been planned with such care. To take that many kids overseas and care for them so well, is a testament to how much Chris Cooper loves this band and this community.”
Chris maintains that the reason for the band’s success is due to the foundations of love and acceptance–pillars of community that Freddy Pollard (Homewood High School’s first band director), Pat and Ron all instilled in the band program before Chris says he even became the director.
The Patriot Marching Band’s numbers have grown steadily since the school’s inception in 1972. When Ron became band director in 1996, he says his focus became on how to involve every student in the band program.
“Homewood is such a strong community,” Ron says. “They love their schools. There was a strong tradition in the band program, when we got here. We embrace that tradition and the community and really wanted the band to represent the entire community of Homewood, which is a very diverse community. We wanted every kid to be involved. That was our purpose.”
At one point, one of the principals asked Ron as the band had grown to 300 members when there will be enough students in the band program. Ron simply replied, “How many kids are in the high school?”
Although Chris, Ron and Terrance all say they love teaching music, they believe their number-one priority is teaching people. They believe teaching band is more than just marching practice or music theory.
It is about life values. It is about raising students in a focus-forward community–one that prides itself on love and acceptance, which are facets powerful enough to create positive, generational change.
The best part? It all begins in the classroom.
“I was so shy in middle school, and I couldn’t talk in front of everyone,” Harper Sheils, one of the 2023-24 Patriot Marching Band’s drum majors, says. “When I decided I wanted to be drum major, I knew I needed to make a change. Thanks to band, I started practicing, getting more comfortable being in front of people. It’s awesome. I love it now. We get to do so many things locally and across the world that not everyone else gets to do. You get to meet all kinds of people that you probably would never have spoken to without being in band. These friendships I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
Megan Harris, who plays alto saxophone and whose mother is from Ireland, took her entire family with her on the Patriot Marching Band’s trip this year. While there, she helped organize a clothing drive, in which trip participants donated socks, gloves and more to her uncle’s church in Ireland. Several hundred donations were made–all thanks to the heart of one student.
“I have very much enjoyed my time in the band,” Megan says. “I was in it for all four years of high school and loved the community I found within it. My favorite memory was marching in the parade and seeing my family cheer for me. Most of them had never seen me marching or playing my instrument before, so it was fun for them to see me in my Patriot uniform.”
Thanks to the Patriot Marching Band, Megan says she got to visit with her family overseas and even got 400 of her closest friends to help serve an entire community in need. Everywhere the band goes, blessings follow.
Carter Cavin, who was one of the Patriots’ drum majors this year, spoke to participants at a banquet on the trip that was captured on video by Tate Hipps, a documentary filmmaker and Homewood High School alumnus. In his speech, Carter acknowledged just how many hours went into planning a monumental journey for so many students and their families.
“We really appreciate all the hard work and dedication that has allowed us to have such an amazing experience,” Carter says in the video. “I hope you find a way to continue to pursue music, no matter how big or small because we have all seen where it has taken us and the opportunities that it has provided us. However, I also urge you to strive after the things you are passionate about. No matter how difficult the path may be, you just gotta keep marching on.”
A resounding applause erupted from the crowd as Carter concluded his speech. With not a dry eye in the house, Chris says watching one of his protegees close one chapter and open another will forever be one of his favorite memories as band director.
As he looked out over all of his students, Chris says he felt overwhelmed with emotion that this was real life–that this was his job: creating opportunities for hundreds of deserving students. No job is better than his, he says. No job compares to continuing the heart and legacy of the Patriot Marching Band.
