Former drum major and Kosciusko High School graduate Nylah Hill vividly remembers when she joined the band in sixth grade. Upon graduating from KHS in 2015, she has pursued further education and become a mother, but the memories of leading the Big Red Band are not lost to her.
Hill was originally placed as a percussionist in her junior high years, while also being a member of the Petite Rouge Indoor Guard and the KJHS Little Red Color Guard. During her ninth-, 10th-, and 11th-grade years, Hill was a member of the Big Red Band Color Guard, La Rouge Indoor Guard, and served as a percussionist for the concert band.
In her senior year, Hill was co-drum major alongside Zech Hall, and the Big Red Band placed second at the state championship, which she noted was an amazing experience.
“I had my uniform on and felt like I was a big part of the band. I was there to lead it, so I was going to do my best to lead everybody because we are all one,” said Hill. “When we ended practices, we would all come together, and Mr. Yates would give a speech telling us areas we need to work on and what we did well.”
Hill also recalls marching seasons as being exciting and energetic.
“We always gave each other pep talks, encouraged one another to march on the right foot, and listened to and practiced music,” said Hill. “It was just fun, and I enjoyed it throughout school.”
Hill’s favorite memories, however, were when the band performed their warm-ups.
“I just loved to hear the sound of the music coming back at me. It was very fulfilling, and I love music, so to be able to do something like that for a group of people was very empowering,” said Hill.
She was offered a band scholarship out of high school but didn’t see music as the career path for her. Still, she feels confident in her ability to read and play music.
“At the end of the day, I can still read music. If I went to a band practice or anything, it would hit me just like that,” she said.
Being a band member also helped broaden her love of music, and Hill said she listens to many genres.
“Most people listen to rap or hip-hop, but I like jazz, and I like classical. Even the music we played has some history to it,” she said. “So, when you go back and look at the music you play, it has history.”
Hill remembers the auditorium now slated to become the Skipworth Center for Performing Arts from her time in junior high choir and she was able to see some of its recent progress when her son graduated from preschool last year.
“That was my first time actually sitting in there and seeing the auditorium, and it looked really nice,” she said.
After high school, Hill attended the University of Mississippi where she majored in pre-dental hygiene.
Hill currently resides in Kosciusko, where she enjoys working as a photographer and a fulltime mom to her two children, Kaleb, 5, and Nevaeh, 1.
“I enjoyed my years in the band,” said Hill, “and if I could relive them, I would.”
