When David Angle accepted the job of rebuilding the band program back at his alma mater, Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, he realized how tough the job was going to be. “I knew it was going to be tough. I knew I was stepping into a difficult situation,” Angle, now in his 10th year as an educator said the B-E band program had fallen upon some very hard times.

Angle, said he learned all he knows about band under highly successful former B-E band director, Terry Pruitt. He said when he met with parents and the students in the summer he didn’t think they understood how difficult things were going to be. “It got off to a real rocky start.”

Now things have changed and are looking a lot better. “The past month things have turned around and are looking up, the kids are excited and motivated again. It’s been rough, but it’s starting to feel good.”

The reason he thinks things have turned around for the B-E band program, “We feel like it’s the community support that has really brought us back. The main thing I want the community to understand is we hear their support. Hearing it from people I don’t even know and hearing it from the community.”

Angle said that along with the support of the community he is also thankful for the support of the administration and staff of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School and Bamberg School District One because in these lean times they could’ve said, “Let’s just get rid of the band program to save money. The school could’ve said the band program is not worth keeping now, but they didn’t.”

Angle, who is originally from Ohio, used a quote from the movie “We are Marshall” to describe what the band program at B-E has been through the last several months. “Out of the ashes.” “The kids have gone through the ashes and dragged through the mud, pulled every which way, but the community support is what’s going to bring us through.” Angle said the band members have adopted the motto: “We’re still standing, you can put us down, but we’re still standing.”

Ultimately, Angle said it was the kids realizing what they were missing out on that changed things. “They thought about all those memories they had from the past and they wanted to come back and have fun with it. They were missing out on that fun and they realized this is bigger than they are.”

Another key, Angle said, was the leadership of the older band members which he described as “great” in getting some of the other kids back. They have been taught well and they have that discipline to be successful, I’m just here to facilitate.”

Angle said that presently with 27 members in the marching band (22 instrument players) his goal in the next two or three years is to get the band back to 60 members. “That number (27) is a solid number for all they have gone through.”

“I have lofty goals for the program,” said Angle. He said he told the kids they won those two state championships and his goal is to win another in the next two or three years.

Angle says he is here for the long haul and this is his final stop. He said it was a “sacrifice” moving his wife and family 12-hours away from her family in Ohio.

“I don’t plan to go anyplace else, when I left Bamberg; I thought I’d never be back. It took a step of faith; I’m not here by accident, it’s great to be back in Bamberg.”