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Colonial Forge drum major a leader off the field, too

Colonial Forge music department excels

By REBEKAH ELLIOTT

Date published: 2/4/2004

By REBEKAH ELLIOTT

Quiet, well-mannered and well-spoken are adjectives that come to mind when speaking to senior Sean Brown, The Forge Sound and Guard drum major.

Sean transferred to Colonial Forge High School his freshman year. "For me, this was the best place," he said.

And, with Sean earning first-place honors in Class AAAA at the Stonewall Jackson Showcase of Bands, Spotsylvania Invitational and Stafford Showcase of Bands, he has been good for the school as well.

"I knew I wanted to be the drum major," said Sean. "My mother was the drum major when she went to high school. It's always been my dream."

As a junior he started preparing for the position. "I practiced for about a year for it," he said.

Although Colonial Forge has been open only since 1999, the music department has gained recognition during that short time period.

For the past two years, the Virginia Orchestra and Band Directors Association has named it an Honor Band. And the Virginia Music Education Association has deemed it a Blue Ribbon School for the last two years as well.

"We are very pleased with it," said band director Andrew Loft.

Loft has been with the school from the very beginning. He remembers when the band hall was only "concrete cinder blocks. I stood in the middle of the room and tried to envision what the band program would be five or six years down the road," said Loft. "It was a unique experience."

Starting with an estimated 80 students in grades nine through 11, the music program has grown to 190 students from ninth through 12th grades.

"It is a quality program with quality people running it," said band publicist Carmen Cata.

Cata's first glimpse of the band has been as a parent. Her daughter is a freshman at the school, allowing Cata to see what is involved in being a band member.

Cata said she noticed the athletics programs receiving accolades, but "[the band kids] are working just as hard."

And she has been very impressed by Sean. "He is a stellar individual," she said. "The level of maturity this kid has to have is phenomenal to me."

Loft said he has "been very fortunate to have outstanding student leaders," and he spoke highly of Sean.

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Date published: 2/4/2004