Buford fine arts shows off talent with Gwinnett Stripers

Buford fine arts shows off talent with Gwinnett Stripers

Buford school system’s band and chorus programs recently took the big stage by performing at a recent Gwinnett Stripers baseball game. 

The high school marching band began the festivities by playing the Star Spangled Banner. During the seventh inning stretch, all of the Buford High School and Buford Middle School fine arts’ programs had the chance to showcase their talents. 

The combined chorus and orchestra programs performed “God Bless America” while the seventh-and-eighth grade band played the infamous “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

“The students had a great time singing and watching the game,” Buford High School choral director Taylor Greer said. “It was a really fun time.”

Ahead of Labor Day weekend, the festivities marked the fourth-consecutive year that the Buford programs have received an invite to the Gwinnett Stripers’ game at the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. It served as a fundraiser for the program as each of the tickets sold through a special link turned into a contribution.

It makes for a community-wide event while showing appreciation for what Buford High School and Buford Middle School have to offer. 

“They got to do something they love,” associate director of bands and Buford High School fine arts’ department head Bridget Wildes said. “It was really cool to see the kids on the field and have their parents waving and making them feel like rockstars.”

Fun festivities included a homecoming proposal on the Stripers’ jumbotron. The team’s personnel also told the children that they did a spectacular job. 

“In the marching band, we spend so much time working on the halftime show, practicing for competitions and supporting the football team,” Wildes said. “We rarely get to just have free time together where we can hang out and have fun.”

The choral and orchestra programs have a few months to prepare for a collaborative performance with North Gwinnett High School. They will play the Vivaldi Gloria.

The marching band programs remain busy with three home games remaining at Tom Riden Stadium as of Sept. 16. They began competition Sept. 14 at Denmark High School. They will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. on Oct. 5 to play at the Bands of America regionals for the second time in school history.

These performances can be seen by the community after the homecoming game on Oct. 18 or during the Buford Marching Band Classic at Tom Riden Stadium on Oct. 26.

“The marching band is gearing up,” Wildes said.