Two (musical) heads are better than one
By: Haley Snyder
Written for the DCHS' "Eye of the Tiger"  Newspaper 

            When you meet Mrs. Reagh and Mrs. Purdue, the first thing you notice is how well they get along.  This is very lucky since they first met at the band booster meeting in June, right before the band’s summer rehearsals began!  Anyone who has either of these two teachers knows that they both have a real passion for their work.

            Mrs. Reagh was influenced at a young age by her French horn instructor and wanted to help other young musical students.

            Mrs. Purdue feels that music is her calling in life, and she displays this in her classes.  Both women agree that that band takes a lot of commitment and loyalty

            Mrs. Reagh and Mrs. Purdue also both agree that sports are equally important, and there is no reason for competition between the two.

            Mrs. Reagh and Mrs. Purdue are both very excited about this year’s Broadway-themed marching show.  The band is performing songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, West Side Story, and Miss Saigon. Mrs. Reagh feels this show is different form the shows the band has done in the past and hopes that it will be an extremely popular show with audiences as well as with the judges.

            Mrs. Purdue is also teaching an honors choir this year.  Honors choir is open to anyone interested.  It meets on Wednesdays after school for about an hour. “It’s not too late to join!” Mrs. Purdue says, “Just do it.  We’re only going so far with choral music. This is open to people who can’t be in my class and can stay after school on Wednesdays.”

            When asked about her favorite memory so far at DCHS, Mrs. Purdue told Eye Of The Tiger about her first day of teaching. “I have this snapshot of the first day of school right before I spilt a gallon of milk on the chorus room floor. My band kids came by (the chorus room) and said, ‘Hey Mrs. Purdue, have a great day.’ I don’t see other being that thoughtful, so that’s a memory that I like and keep with me.”

            Similarly, Mrs. Reagh’s favorite thing about DCHS is the students. “The students I have in band are very hard-working and dedicated, so I really enjoy working with them.”

            Hopefully, this year our 43-member strong band will uphold its winning tradition with our wonderful new music department.