DHS Senior Stories: Love of music helps band captain find balance

Ethan Lanier
Ethan Lanier at the Destrehan High School band room.

Ethan Lanier can almost feel the moment as he speaks about it, the one that inspires him to put music at the center of his life.

“I love getting into a jam session with someone and having that connection between us through the music,” Lanier said. “It’s a special kind of thing.”

Lanier is freshly graduated of Destrehan High School, where he was the captain of the acclaimed Pride of Destrehan High School Band in both his junior and senior years. The Euphonium 1st Chair will attend the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he will study music education. He has received several scholarships as result of his talents, both as a musician and in the classroom.

“My older brother was in music. Then in fifth grade, I didn’t think I was going to do it, but I saw a display of all the instruments and thought it was really cool,” Lanier said. “I actually started on trumpet, then they switched me over to baritone when I was in middle school. That’s what I’ve played ever since.”

While music had been a big part of his life since that point, he truly began to make it a priority after a close friend found his own passion for music composition.

“He really got into it, and that opened up a lot of discussions between us and the knowledge just kind of flowed,” Lanier said.

Lanier has marched for three years with the Louisiana Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, with whom he played euphonium (horn). He also played with Drum Corps International (DCI). Next year, he will tour with both.

“They’re both intense kind of things, and I liked that about it,” Lanier said. “It brought a lot of my love of performing out.”

Those won’t be confused with light commitments. Marching with the Stars Corps requires a great deal of physical training and the ability to go through long, intensive practices in preparation for 18 — or more — shows throughout the summer.

“Most of the training is done between camps before we tour,” Lanier said. “There’s a lot of running, a lot of stamina building … maybe not pumping big weights so much but holding the weights, to get used to holding those heavier instruments (while marching). Mainly it requires a lot of stamina, making sure you’re not too heavy so you can move around in the summer.

“We’re 16 hours every day in practice. We do video assignments, run this many miles this day, this week, to make sure we’re prepared in every way we need to be.”

Back at Destrehan’s campus, he was tasked with being among the chief organizers of one of the traditionally strong marching bands in the state.

That can be a heavy responsibility — any slip up of significance by a band member could in theory spoil a performance, such as their detailed, synchronized acts at halftime of the Wildcats football games.  Lanier said he managed to do his part as captain by delegating to section leaders when he could, as he attempted to keep everyone on the same page.

That leadership role is something Lanier has taken to. He hopes to keep performing, but also wants to teach and pass his love of music down to future students. He said giving private lessons is a possibility, while he could also foresee a future as a band director. He added another possibility is a less common one, but one that could be as rewarding: establishing himself as a consultant who could go from school to school and advise on how to improve the band of each.

“Louisiana, when compared to other states, lags a little behind with its arts programs (statewide),” Lanier said. “I’d love to help pick that up. I want to keep teaching people.”

 

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