Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Battle Creek series.
BATTLE CREEK, MI — Come-from-behind wins at Battle Creek Central High School aren’t limited to athletics, just ask Fred Jankowski, Director of Bands at BCCHS.
In his first year leading the school’s band and music programs, Jankowski is laser-focused on rebuilding a marching band program that lost students and its rhythm during the COVID pandemic.
“It’s a hard situation to watch because it’s complex. There wasn’t a band program in the country that wasn’t affected by COVID,” Jankowski says. “There were a lot of things that were lost because of COVID, a lot of things that we just don’t know.”
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John GrapPracticing drums for Battle Creek Central’s band are, from left, Morgan Michaud and Abigail Getman.The pandemic all but silenced high school music programs, says a story on the
neaToday website.
“If they picked up their instruments at all, students played at home on their own or virtually in Zoom sessions,” according to the article. “The harmonic feeling and sound that comes with playing alongside bandmates was lost.”
As a 2016 graduate of BCCHS, Jankowski says rebuilding the program is personal for him. While a student there, he played trumpet in the marching band which had more than 100 members at the time. There are currently about 27 student musicians whose level of experience varies.
“I’ve got people playing who have been playing for seven years and those who are brand new and it’s a balancing act. It’s a little bit tricky. We’re very woodwind heavy now and missing a lot of lower brass voices,” Jankowski says. “Sometimes I re-write those parts of the music to get the low voices in.”
The rebuilding will take time and consistency, says Vania Word, Chief Inspiration Architect for the Arts & Culture Collective of Battle Creek. She was one of several community members who spoke with Jankowski about the marching band program prior to his accepting the job.
Word says she and others told him that the school district has work to do and it will be an uphill battle, but not an impossible one. She says the numbers will come if there is consistent effort and energy put into building the culture back and recruiting and time.
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John GrapFred Jankowski, Director of Bands at Battle Creek Central High School, works with students during a recent rehearsal.“He has to start investing in the younger students in the district so that they are prepared for what is to come when they cross that threshold into high school,” she says. “We also let him know that these students want TRADITION, that is what sets BCCHS’ marching band apart. It’s the traditions and stories and habits that have been passed down throughout the years and we cannot lose that.”
Jankowski is being very intentional in his recruitment efforts to fill in the gaps and build on what’s already there.
“A lot of different things go into this. We’re competing with different clubs and extracurricular activities for students' attention,” Jankowski says. “I want to be a super-positive force when I interact with them in other classes, I want them to understand that I do care. I want them to know that they have someone who supports them 100 percent.”
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John GrapPracticing drums for Battle Creek Central’s band are, from left, George Pyatt and Pharoah Clark.It’s part of a playbook Jankowski is using to get more students into his program. This approach seems to be hitting the right notes with students, two of whom recently joined the band’s percussion section.
While scouting for talent at BCCHS, he also is working on a play to get 8th-grade students into his program. An invitation was extended to them to play the music they’ve learned and pieces played by the marching band.
“We’ve had a lot of middle school students say that they’re interested in joining marching band,” Jankowski says. “Because middle schoolers can only come to after-school rehearsals, we’re still working out if we can get transportation for them to the high school. I know other schools in our area that are starting to do the same thing,”
Like his high school band members, he expects 100 percent commitment to the program from any middle school student wanting to join. This is a way, he says, to give them a sense of ownership early on.
A homecoming on and off the field
After graduating from MSU, Jankowski took a teaching position at Verona Elementary School while also helping to grow the elementary school music programs.
Coming home to Battle Creek was a “no brainer” for him “because of how much love and respect I have for this school and community.
In my mind, it was time to give back to the community that gave me everything that I had. When I was offered the chance to interview for the Band Director position I jumped at the opportunity,” he said in a letter posted on Facebook.
The marching band’s season began with a performance during halftime of BCCHS’ Homecoming Game. The group did not play at the first football game of the season because they’d only had two rehearsals and weren’t ready.
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John GrapFred Jankowski, Director of Bands at Battle Creek Central High School, works with students during a recent rehearsal.Jankowski says fellow BCCHS alumni have not been reluctant to share their opinions about the need to increase the number of students participating in marching band.
“I’m hearing people talk about getting over 100 students. Having 50 students who are really engaged is really important,” he says.
High school bands might look a little different from school to school and region to region, but they all provide the same critical elements to the educational experience, according to the NEA story.
“For students who play, band is often what they enjoy most about school. For some, it’s the lifeline that keeps them from sinking academically or dropping out. For the rest of the student body, band performances boost school spirit and pride.”
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John GrapBattle Creek Central High School’s marching band trailer is parked outside the high school.“Marching band is just like a lot of other activities,” Jankowski says. “It gives you a sense of community. You instantly have 30-plus friends. When I was there, I instantly had 150 friends. It teaches you discipline to be somewhere on time, or just like taking ownership in a skill and mastering it.”
He says he knows how important the program is to Battle Creek Public Schools alumni, students, and the community. He says this was also true at MSU whose 1,000-plus member marching band received the same kind of attention as the star quarterback.
BCCHS’ marching band’s importance is infinite and ensures that students are receiving a well-rounded education, Word says, adding that the Bearcat Marching Band is a staple of not only the community but the school with a rich history that goes back decades.
“Thriving arts programs are a signal that there are well-rounded and dynamic students in their district because they have the ability to express themselves and create,” she says. “They have the ability to use different artistic languages to communicate which is a sign of high intelligence. Not only does being in marching band benefit the students artistically, it also benefits them by creating and instilling discipline. It also requires risk, courage, and drive, not to mention the physical component. It’s hard work.”
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John GrapPracticing drums for Battle Creek Central’s band are, from left, Makayla Soler, Chynia McCreary, and Jania West.In addition to the marching band, Jankowski’s instructional duties include the school’s choir, orchestra, and piano and guitar labs. He says it’s been very surreal to sit in the same office that his band director once occupied.
“I absolutely love this program. It’s made me into who I am today,” Jankowski says.