BCHS alumni invited to sit in with the band

In the 1986 film “The Best of Times,” Robin Williams has lived with the regret of dropping a ball thrown to him by quarterback Kurt Russell in the big game in high school. That is, until he gets a chance at redemption more than a decade later.

While it may be apples and oranges, but reliving aspects of one’s high school days is appealing to many. That will be the case on Friday, Aug. 22.

Boulder City High School is inviting alumni band members to sit in with this year’s band to perform before and during the varsity home football game, which kicks off at 7 p.m.

Dr. Brendan Holly, director of the BCHS band and choir, said he’s very excited for this first-ever BCHS alumni band night.

“The idea came about because Boulder City is so rich in tradition and pride, whether it’s in athletics or the arts,” he said. “Band kids spend so many hours in high school together, and I thought it would be great to give our alumni a chance to come back, relive some of those memories, and share that legacy with our current students.”

The alumni will join the band for the pre-game show, where they’ll be playing “Make Me Smile” by Chicago and the BCHS Fight Song. They’ll sit in with the band in the stands during the game and play along with them during a few standard tunes. Alumni are asked to bring their own musical instruments.

“This is my first time doing an alumni band night. I haven’t done it at other schools, but BCHS just felt like the perfect place to start something like this because of the strong community pride here,” Holly said. “The big goal is to celebrate our alumni while also making those connections stronger between the band and Boulder City.”

Jeff Breeden, BCHS class of 1994, said he’s excited to sit in with the band, and he won’t be going alone.

“I’m always amazed I still have the fight song memorized,” he said. “I’m lucky, too, that I graduated from UNLV and still play about a dozen basketball games a year with their band.

“My son, Toby (BCHS ’22) was drum major his senior year and we’re both going back Friday. I’m so happy music is still a part of my life and I hope at least one of the kids in the band will still be making music 30 years later.”

For more information, see the announcement on the Boulder City Review or the Boulder City High School Music Department’s Facebook pages and scan the QR code.