Q & A with Dalton marching band director Randy Kaserman: 2022 marching Bulldogs work hard, stay positive

PHOTOS BY LISA McGINTY | LMc Photography

Dalton High School marching band director Randy Kaserman leads the band onto the field Aug. 26 at Dalton’s first home football game of the season.

Percussion cleverly uses overturned trash cans to obtain their beat and Ian Jarrett on saxophone at the Sept. 10 home game against Garaway.

The DGKN asked Dalton High School marching band director Randy Kaserman five questions at the beginning of this marching band season. Here are his responses:

Q. MAKE UP OF THE BAND:  How many members are in the marching band this year? How many seniors do you have? Is there anything unusual as far as instrumentation?

A. “We have 57 students in band this year. We have 12 seniors. Nothing unusual as far as instrumentation.”

Q. OLD FAVORITES AND NEW SOUNDS: What favorites can fans look forward to? Will there be some new music that the band is particularly excited about?

A. “Our first show features current “Ladies of Pop” music with songs by Kesha, Ava Max, and Dua Lipa. A unique Percussion feature is currently in the works which will be a combination of new and old school ideas (old school circa 1990s era.) Our crowd favorites of “Louie Louie,” “Land of 100 dances,” “Shout It Out,” “The Hey Song,” “Tequila” and our drumline cadences are back again this year and will be played in the stands throughout the game.”

Q. PERSONALITY: Does the band seem to have a certain personality this year? What is one thing about this year’s marching band that you would like people to know or that may surprise people.

A. “The students have had a very positive approach to marching band this year. We just had a VERY long and hot after school rehearsal the other day, but even at the end of rehearsal as we marched back to the school many of the kids were doing the celebratory chant during the percussion cadences. I was impressed because even I was too hot and tired to be that excited after 2 hours of rehearsing in the heat. They are a great group who recognize what their strengths are and build on them. They also recognize areas in need of improvement and work together to make adjustments and step up to the challenges.”

Q. SCHEDULE and SUPPORT: When can people see the band perform besides at home and away football games? If people would like to make a donation to the band, can they do it by calling Dalton Local Schools? Is there anything you’re in need of this year? Are there any fundraisers the community should look out for to support the band?

A. “We are VERY grateful to the Dalton VFW, Mr. Doug Manley, Trevor Hostetler, Mike Jackson and MANY other music parents who donated the money, time and materials to purchase our new band trailer, have the logo installed, and outfit it with shelving and other features to make our students travel to away games and band shows easier. This year we are in DESPERATE need of parents to volunteer in our concession stand as that is the biggest fundraiser for our band and choir students. We have MANY big games this year where attendance is high so workers are needed in the concession stand to adequately serve our patrons. The 4 Marching Snare drums and carriers are in need of replacement this year as they are nearly 30 years old and are the oldest instruments in our marching band inventory. Repair parts for them have become obsolete and these drums get a tremendous amount of use each year which has taken its toll on them the past 3 decades. They were already in the inventory before I started teaching here so you know they are old. LOL 🙂 We will be performing at the Massillon Band show on Sept. 17, the Wayne County Fair, and The Wayne County Bandarama at Triway.”

Q. OK last one: What are YOU most looking forward to this year? What is your favorite thing about directing marching band?

A. “My favorite thing about directing marching band is seeing everything come together and the kids have a good performance, when the music is solid and the marching is clean. There is a positive energy that radiates from the group and the audience when this happens. I’m most looking forward to seeing how far I can challenge the students and seeing the results on the field at halftime.”