How this Muscogee marching band quadrupled its members, got picked for Peach Bowl parade
Before the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes play Saturday night (8 p.m. kickoff) in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Carver High School band will march in the 1-mile Peach Bowl parade, starting at 1 p.m. at the intersection of Baker and Peachtree streets and finishing at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Carver seniors Marquis Alfred and Brandon Boden put in perspective how much this band has grown.
The members had dwindled to around 30 by the time assistant director Lorenzo Manuel was elevated to director two years ago. Manuel instilled the discipline the program needed, fun followed, and the band quadrupled its members to around 120.
“It took a lot of patience,” Marquis, 17, the band’s head drum major, told the Ledger-Enquirer. “It took a lot of practice. It took a lot of rehearsing. It took a lot of reading music. It’s not an easy process, but it’s a process that you appreciate.”
“It’s hard work,” Brandon, 17, the band’s captain, told L-E. “People wanted to quit, but we’re taking people that never touched an instrument before, and we’re transforming them into musicians. Instead of sitting at home after school, they joined the band at Carver, and their whole life changed.”
Now, they will play during a college football bowl game’s festivities for the first time in the program’s history.
“You don’t hear about bands being selected for these types of things from where I come from,” Brandon said. “… We get to experience what some would call a dream come true.”
Carver is among approximately 20 high school bands selected out of an estimated 100 applicants to march in the parade, Manuel said.
“It’s a great opportunity for our young people,” he said. “The kids we have here are hard workers. They put forth a lot of effort. … Our administration supports us.”
Manuel credits the band members and alumni for helping him recruit other students.
“They have taken ownership of their program,” he said. “… Young people like to have fun and input, but most of all, they like structure.”
He models his approach after Oliver Boone, who was the band director at Kendrick High School, where Manuel graduated in 1994. Recalling the joy and pride of playing in the Rose Bowl parade with Kendrick, Manuel is committed to giving his students a similar opportunity.
“A lot of times, kids just need that experience to kind of help their self-esteem,” he said. “We produce great kids at Carver High School.”
Manuel became drum major at Albany State University and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in music. He teaches band and chorus at Carver, where he was assistant band director for 15 years before becoming director in 2020. He thanked Carver principal Christopher Lindsey for “letting me lead and impact lives of young people.”
Marquis is grateful for Manuel creating what he called a “family-type bond” in the band.
“He’s a very patient man,” Marquis said. “He’s a very hardworking man, very intelligent, very passionate about what he does, very caring, loving and just open-minded. You can tell him anything, and he can give you advice just like that.”
Carver’s playlist
Songs in Carver’s playlist for the parade include:
- “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez
- “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe
- “Under Pressure” by Boyz II Men
- “Cold Hearted” by Paula Abdul
- “Jump Start” by Natalie Cole.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 3:37 PM.
