Showtime
Step off the field and into the stories behind the music. Showtime! brings you heartfelt, inspiring, and often hilarious stories from current and former members of the Pride of the Mountains marching band. Discover how this extraordinary program has shaped lives, built lifelong friendships, and created unforgettable memories—one performance at a time.
Showtime
Low Reeds in Business ft. Madi Rose and Nicole Petersohn
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In this episode of Showtime, we feature two former low reed players from the Pride of the Mountains who are now thriving small business owners. They reflect on their shared passion for music and marching band, their journeys after WCU, and how their experiences in Pride helped shape their mindset, work ethic, and approach to entrepreneurship. It’s a story of creativity, resilience, and turning passion into purpose.
The official podcast of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.
Hey, I'm Matt Henley. And I'm Rain Woods. And welcome to the Showtime Podcast for the Proud of the Mountains Marching Band. Whether you're a current member, one of our incredible alumni from the Long Purple Line, or a proud supporter of the band, we are so glad that you tuned in today. I'm Matt Henley, director of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band here at Western Carolina University. And with me is our former chief student archivist, Rain Woods. How are you doing today, Rain?
SPEAKER_01I'm doing fantastic.
SPEAKER_03I believe you.
SPEAKER_01Yes. All right, Matt, for this episode, I got a question for you.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I'm ready.
SPEAKER_01Can you name for me the most intra uh instrumentally diverse win section in this band?
SPEAKER_03These kinds of questions get me in trouble with the rest of the band. You realize that.
SPEAKER_01This is a factual one. I'm not asking you for your favorite.
SPEAKER_03I'm just asking I I I understand. And I would say without a doubt, it is our low read section.
SPEAKER_01Heck yeah. Oh, how sweet.
SPEAKER_03My brothers. In in more ways than one.
SPEAKER_01I love my section so much. I I marched for seven years with the Low Reads section here in Pride of the Mountains. And can I just say I have never had anything closer to a chosen family in my life? I absolutely love our section, and I am who I am today because of my section. So I am super excited that for this episode today, I got to feature some really, really cool alumni from the Low Reads section. These are two of my super best friends and people who I look up to a lot because they are all small business owners who are also all women. Let's go. Yeah. But small business owners here in the western North Carolina area. So, Matt, who we got in today?
SPEAKER_03Yes, so we have a couple of great alumni with us today for sure. We have Maddie Rose from Great Commission Coffee and also Nicole Peterson from McGrow by Earth Pottery. Thank you so much for being with us. And yeah, we just want to dig a little bit deeper into kind of what y'all are doing and um and how your your experience with the Pride of the Mountains kind of impacted your future and all that kind of fun stuff. Um but uh let's start with you, Maddie. Um, if you could just maybe just tell us where you're from, the years you marched in the Pride of the Mountains, your instrument, what you studied, all that fun stuff. Tell us about you.
SPEAKER_00Sweet, awesome. Well, my name is Maddie Rose. A lot of people think that my name is Maddie Rose, my first name, but no, Rose is my last name. Um, I'm originally from Haysville, North Carolina, which is more western than here, about an hour west in North Carolina. Oh, I love a race. I actually got family over there. I know you do, which is really random but super awesome. I love that. Um so I marched in Pottham from 2017 to 2021. So five years. So I have one victory lap underneath my belt. Um, and I played my first two years in Pottom. I was actually in the clarinet section. So and then my last three, 2019 to 2021, I was in the low reads as a bass clarinet singer.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, I actually did not know that about you. That's so cool. But also betrayal.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I know. Well, whatever.
SPEAKER_01The clarinet section is awesome.
SPEAKER_00So in at Western, I actually studied studio art with a concentration in printmaking. So I got a BFA.
SPEAKER_03So nice. Very, very cool. Well, um, I'm I'm curious, just uh being the band guy that I am. Uh what was the favorite Pry the Mountain show that you marched? Just you, you personally, what do you think?
SPEAKER_00Oh, dude, 100% believe like 2019. Always, heck yeah, amazing. What a go-to show. I can still like I was dreaming of the drill of that show last night. Like I can still have issues all of the vocals that we did. So yes, I do.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. Well, yeah, that was that was a great show. So many great shows. But um for you personally, what's your favorite part of the mountains tradition?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh, it's birthday. Like a hundred percent. I remember specifically, and I think this was in 2019, and like I said earlier, I don't know if this is on um recording, but I can be very boisterous. I can know I oh yeah. I know I do. Yeah, whatever. Anyways, sarcasm fun. I remember one time it was a birthday, and this is uh in 2019, and it was somebody in KK Psy, because I'm in KK Psy, um, and I stood up to say their happy birthday, and it was like, it's such a sad birthday today. And David literally went like just absolutely blew them away. So, yes, I um use that voice not only for birthday, but um all the time in pet band.
SPEAKER_03So you you are a little boisterous. I like that word. Yeah, that that's a fun tradition for sure. A lot of people don't even know the history of that tradition, but it basically was back in the early 90s we used to sing birthday, the actual song, to everybody. And then the band got bigger and bigger, and finally Bob was like, We're not doing that anymore. Because it was taking forever just to dismiss the band at the end. So finally somebody screamed birthday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I couldn't imagine doing that for the band today. I I think that would take up just as much time as a rehearsal would it would it would take two hours.
SPEAKER_00Did you sing it for each individual person? Yes.
SPEAKER_03Yes. Yes, can you imagine now? So so yeah, so now for those of you out there that don't know, yeah, when anybody ha someone has a birthday, they a a fellow band mate brings it up, and then the entire band basically just screams birthday, so we can move on to the next one. And then there's some other words that have developed through the years, depending on the age of the person, which we will not discuss right now.
SPEAKER_00Um I think my favorite was once you got past 21, everybody just said old.
SPEAKER_01So glad that I don't have a birthday during the band season because my God, I would have heard old a lot the last couple of years.
SPEAKER_03This is true. This is true.
SPEAKER_01All right. And then with us today, we also have Nicole Peterson of Grow by Earth Pottery. So, Nicole, just tell us a little bit about yourself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thank you guys so much for having me here today. I'm excited to tell you guys a little bit about my business. Um, it's really good to see you, Maddie. Um, well, my name's Nicole. I started Grow by Earth Pottery um in 2022. Um, actually came to Western wanting to be a band director, and then COVID happened, and COVID kind of directed me towards pottery. I had a lot of time at home just to watch some YouTube and found pottery to be an interest of mine. So in 2020, we were let back into school. I actually was accepted into a pottery class. At first I was waitlisted, so it was really excited that I was actually in the class, and uh that kind of started the whole spiral of my business. I took all four pottery classes here at WCU. I fell in love, and then 2022 came around. I started my business, and here we are today, um, still making pottery. I teach part-time over at Southwestern Community College and sell my pottery throughout the area. Um I'm in seven stores right now, and that kind of fluctuates depending on what they need, if it's wholesale or if I'm restocking on a retail basis, um, that sort of thing.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I was actually in a store fairly recently and ran across your work, and uh, I want to tell everybody in the store. I I know her, like she's a friend of mine. Like, check it out. That actually happened, I'm not kidding.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03What years were you in Part of the Mountains?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, I came here in 2019. So I marched from 2019 all the way through 2025, and I took a year off in 2023 to pursue my business and get the ball rolling there.
SPEAKER_03All right. So your favorite show was during your time?
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh. Okay, so my favorite show up until last year would have been Believe. Um, definitely with Maddie on that one. The music and the people during that time were really inspiring to me and it really felt like a family. But I will say that this past year, uh, 2025 Connect was definitely my favorite show. It was very reminiscent of Believe. We brought back a couple uh tunes that we also played during 2019. So uh this past year, when we did get to those, there's a moment where we play a little riff from 2019, yeah, and that made it all all the worth it to me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was definitely cool to connect in kind of who we were with who we are now. It was uh definitely cool. Uh Maddie, back to you. Tell us about your business.
SPEAKER_00So um I am the co-owner of Great Commission Coffee. I say co-owner because the other owner is my father. So it's actually a dad-daughter team. We're owned as we're known as Mad and Dad in the coffee world. So um we actually didn't start Great Commission Coffee, like we didn't create it. Um if you've ever taken a psychology class at Western, you probably know Tom Ford. Um he's retired now. So he actually started Great Commission Coffee back in 2017. Um his daughter, Nancy, actually had a ministry down in Nicaragua at the time called Set in Motion. Um, so set in Motion, they would help um people in the community buy bicycles. Um, they helped fund a church down there. Um, and so it was a really good ministry that they had. And so he actually started roasting and selling coffee to help fund that ministry. Um so with Great Commission Coffee, we donate 100% of our profits to missions and ministries. Um back in 2024, um I had graduated, I was working out somewhere, and dad and I had been buying Great Commission Coffee for a long time. Um, but we heard from Tom that he was going to dissolve the company. Um, he was actually going into counseling, and so um we heard that he was just gonna sell the equipment of the business off. And so dad and I had a conversation. We're like, what if we bought Great Commission Coffee and just continued and kept it local? And so um that's how we acquired it. We took over in September of 2024. And so um, for a year there, we were just roasters. We actually had a small office space next to Print Shack in town, but back in this past September, um, we moved into a spot down in Dillsborough, and so now we have a cafe roastery. So very cool.
SPEAKER_01Coffee with a cause, baby. Coffee with a cause, baby.
SPEAKER_03I really I did not know the philanthropic side side of that. That is so inspiring. Yeah, that is very, very cool. Um, you know, I mean, how long have you been doing that then? I guess that would be what two years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so about a year and a half now in September, it'll be two years. And it's funny because before we bought the company, dad and I never did anything coffee ever. Like, there was a whole year there where I didn't drink caffeine at all. Like, um, and I can do that. Yeah, and so no, it's so funny because like we both started to have an interest in craft coffee, and I actually, for dad's birthday the year before, I actually bought us a coffee cupping class. So, coffee tasting and wine tasting are very similar, but coffee tastings are called coffee cuppings, and so we actually got to go and expertly taste some local coffees. So I'm learning a lot here.
SPEAKER_03That's very, very cool. Very cool. So you're there full time then, I guess, right?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, yeah, heck yeah. We are like since we moved into a space in Dillsboro, we are like wide open. We have a staff now, and so we have actually baristas and roasters that come in and work, but um, you know, I kind of do a little bit of everything, roast, uh, make coffees, um, do all the paperwork processing. Um, a big part of our business is um online orders and so processing online orders. Um we sell wholesale to um, for example, Ingalls, um, our coffee is in every Ingalls west of Canton plus Brevard. Wow. I don't know that either. And then um we also do like a lot of markets and stuff like that. And so there's a couple of different facets to the business. And so it's very cool. Yep.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So if somebody wants to check you out online, where would they go?
SPEAKER_00Greatcommissioncoffee.com.
SPEAKER_03Very simple. Yes, I like it. Well, what about you? I know that you kind of had an online presence as well. What's going on with all that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, well, like I said, I do I teach part-time over at Southwestern Community College, and then I have seven locations that show my work at the moment. Um, besides that, I also have some ongoing commissions with WCU. So I actually make pieces for the College of Business whenever there is professors that um become full-time professors when they gain tenure, and when they retire, the College of Business reaches out to me and they purchase a piece. Yeah, they uh they get like a collection um upon retirement once they hit all three milestones. So uh yeah, they get a bowl, they get a vase, and they get a platter.
SPEAKER_01Um not only do you hit retirement, but you also get some really dope ceramics with it. That's a that's a win-win-win-win.
SPEAKER_02I actually have the retirement plate with me as what it shows.
SPEAKER_01And for reference, the YouTube version of this upload does have video. Yes. Oh, that's a good idea.
SPEAKER_02Here it is right here. Um so everything is obviously starting out as a clay slab. I have a mold that I make these trays with, and then they're all free-hand carved individually, so all of these are unique, kind of symbolizing the path that we take here. Um we all kind of connect together but in different ways. And then I hand paint these mountains. I have a tool that allows me to put the design on there, and then they're all hand-painted. Um, each of these colors requires three coats to get the um opacity correct, otherwise it's a bit like watercolor. Um, and these pieces are fired twice. I put a clear glaze on them, and then they are entirely food safe and um microwave and dishwasher safe.
SPEAKER_03Sounds labor intensive.
SPEAKER_02Um it is, but it's a labor of love, so it doesn't always feel like work.
SPEAKER_03That's that's not so if somebody was in downtown Silva and want to check out your work, where's somewhere they could go?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um I have stuff at City Lights Cafe in downtown Silva. I also have stuff at Snake Song Shop in Silva. Um if you're on campus here, you can actually find some of my stuff in the WCU Bardo Fine Art Museum gift shop. Um, they've got a small selection of my work there too.
SPEAKER_03Very cool. What about your online? Does anyone want to check out online?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um I have a strong Instagram presence. That's where I do most of my posting on my progress pieces, where I'm going to be for festivals and commissions that I'm currently working on. I do have a website, but it serves mostly as an online portfolio. There's not a whole ton of work on there to shop just yet. But that's my goal in the future is to get a stronger website presence. I love it.
SPEAKER_03Well, you know, I've I've known the two of you for a while now, and um yeah, you know, anybody that knows anything about me, and obviously I'm in love with this margin band and mobile, but I'm more in love with the student leadership program that we kind of have going on in the background. It's an amazing thing. Uh so I'm just curious, uh, because I know both of you were a part of that in some one way or another. Um, how did your experience in the Pride of the Mountains you think influence or help you uh with what you're doing now?
SPEAKER_00Um definitely punctuality is a really big thing. Um prior to Pride of the Mountains, um I was not late, but you know, I was kind of lax. But um definitely being the band learning punctuality, it's a huge thing. And I've you know definitely that carries over into the business too. And um, you know, I was in a couple of leadership positions. Um, one of them being the chief of library back in, this was actually in 2020, um, the season that kind of happened but kind of didn't. I was actually library chief, and that was um during a time when there was kind of a shift. And so my team and I actually worked on rescanning all of the library music that we were to use or anticipated to use. And so working with the team there um has definitely um crossed over in how I work with our staff at the shop as well. Aaron Ross Powell Nice.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's very detail-oriented work, that's for sure. Yes. And by the way, we're still using your work from back then. So I'm flattered. Thank you for that. What about you, Nicole?
SPEAKER_02Um also the early mornings and the late nights and stuff. But yeah. I think just like um striving for success in all that I do, even if it's small pieces or large pieces, just trying to put my best foot forward and um give that the highest level of excellence that I can and will create at that point in time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah.
SPEAKER_03I can I can totally get that. Yeah. It's there's something about being present in what you're doing and being really focused while you're doing whatever you're doing. And to the on-time thing, I I think I think, Bob, if you're out there, I'm sorry. I I think you're the one that actually said this to me 30 years ago. But what is it to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to is to be late and to be late is a big thing.
SPEAKER_00It's unacceptable. Unacceptable, yes.
SPEAKER_03He actually said dead. But that's a little extreme. That's a little extreme, but that's Bob.
SPEAKER_01I remember David always always said uh well to be late is to miss the bus to Macy's.
SPEAKER_03But what would you let's let's get into the challenges of business. I I know that you know um that that being an entrepreneur or whatever is is extremely difficult, especially this this day and age. So what are some challenges that you've faced in regard to being an entrepreneur um with your business? We'll start with you, Maddie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um to preface, like I come from a line of business owners. So my grandfather actually um was an entrepreneur, business owner. My dad was too, still is. And so now it's kind of like the family line coming down to me. And so like it's seeing like all of these different facets and all the wood, like the workings and like the cogs that go into owning a business. And so um I'm really blessed to have my dad with me to kind of help me lead along and teach me these things. But definitely um, you know, we started we started out as a wholesaler and now we've kind of shifted over to wholesale wholesale slash cafe. And so balancing those two different things, I guess one of the things that is huge that I've noticed is you gotta get out and reach for it. It's not gonna, the business is not gonna come walking to you. You gotta, you gotta reach. So definitely when we first bought the business, um, we just had an online store and we were in Engels in Silva, um, and that was it. And so um expanding past those things has been a lot of work, you know. We we bust it every day. And so um yeah, just reaching out, um, just getting it, man.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. There's there's no uh substitute for hard work. There just there just isn't that that's definitely something you learn in band. There you it's not just gonna happen. But you you've got to invest yourself. What about you, Nicole? What are some challenges you've you've faced with your business so far?
SPEAKER_02Um I have faced, I would say, two distinct struggles. Um definitely as I've also begun to expand my business, maintaining quality and excellence throughout all my products has definitely been something at the forefront of my mind while I'm making, because it's been making a lot more work takes a lot more time, which is obviously draining, but that doesn't mean that the products get less of my attention and less of the quality and you know, that sort of thing. And the second thing that's been a challenge recently has just been really knowing what my purpose and place is with making art. Um all the time people tell me that they're inspired or feel something from it. So it's hard to go to the studio and not get that feedback regularly and still know that I'm impacting people in a positive manner.
SPEAKER_03Right. Well, if it m means anything, you impact me because I'm one of your mugs actually sits in my office at home. I look at it every single day and I think of you, and uh and I think of your hard work and your tenacity and your your go go get it kind of and your stick to stick tuitiveness? Is that what I say that right, Mom?
SPEAKER_01Matt creates a new word.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, my mom said that one to me. Stick tuitiveness, I think. But uh but I I always always think of you. And uh I'm inspired by so many of our students just doing some amazing things out there. But um yeah. But real life is challenging. And uh it you know, we joke about the adulting part. Um and I've always viewed college as kind of being like this intermediary, this this um bridge to adulthood, uh, where you start having to do for yourself, making your own decisions every single day, but you know, ha finding that strength to push yourself when nobody is making you do anything.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, the amount of times that Nicole and I have just texted each other on a random day, just being like, dude, I adulted today. Please give me positive feedback.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's it's challenging. And and in small business is even harder, I think, you know, because you're you're um you you're kind of at the mercy of the public sometimes and and trying to make the right choices. But you know, I I firmly believe I I'd like to I just talk to my son on the phone or whatever, and and um we actually talk about this regularly, you know, and that 90% of being successful just showing up every day and uh giving it your best. And I think that y'all are great examples of that. So I'm really proud of y'all. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Thank Nicole, you actually studied art too, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're all artists here. All three of us. We're all art majors. I want to ask, did y'all come in to college wanting to study art?
SPEAKER_01Um if you consider film and videography art, sure. But I did switch it like five times before landing on studio art. It was like film, you know, parks and rec, undecided graphic design studio art.
SPEAKER_00I think it's so funny because like, Nicole, did you come in to school wanting to study art?
SPEAKER_02No. Well, kind of. I came to school wanting to be a band director, and I came here basically to march at the Pride of the Mountains and figure out how that was gonna work out for me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I think it's so funny because the majority of art majors I've talked to, none of them came into school wanting to study art.
SPEAKER_03Like Why do you think that is, out of curiosity?
SPEAKER_00I think like I can give an example for me. I came in to study wanting to study psychology, and I got into my second year of classes and I was like, man, like I just I couldn't. I wanted to have a more expanse of thinking. And I think that's what a lot of my degree has, you know, led me to is to have this expanse of creative thinking, like creative thinking, not only in an artistic sense of creating things, but creative thinking and things of how to get things done. Um, so I think why I mentioned like us all being art majors, I feel like artists have this tenacity to begin with, like this this thing that you know, you you push yourself forward, you know, you propel yourself, um, you propel your artwork, you know, that's a part of you. And so um, I think being small business owners now, that's a big part of it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, most definitely.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03I would agree with all that. I th I think too, and just to put a slightly negative spin into a positive, is that I also believe very strongly because I've taught a lot of art majors, I've taught a lot of music majors, a lot of artsy type students, as you can imagine through the years. And uh there is a common thread to a lot of their stories, and and that is that um I think that they have a passion for whatever they do, be it art or music or whatever it may be, and uh they are discouraged by their parents or by their teachers or by their coaches or whoever they had in high school that were influencers or um and uh they are talked out of it thinking that you're gonna starve to death and you're going to not be successful, whatever that word means.
SPEAKER_01And to have that kind of pressure when you're still that young is correct.
SPEAKER_03And so you like so you got they I think a lot of those students they start thinking, well, what can can I do? Like what can I and they start trying to invent things of maybe their second or third choice of things that they find interest in. And they start that because they feel like it's the right thing to do, quote unquote. Um and they've discovered real quickly that it but it doesn't feed them. It doesn't feed their soul, it doesn't, it doesn't make them want to work every day. And um, you know, I'm one of those lucky people that I get to do what I love every day, so it doesn't necessarily feel like a job most days. Not not all days, some days it definitely feels like a job. Those are the days that I show up. It is not, no, those those are those are great days always. But I just uh I I just feel like that um sometimes, you know, if you if you go with your heart and you go with your what you know that you love to do and you figure out a way to make money at it, you're you're gonna be just fine. You know, and the vast majority, the vast majority of our music majors and art majors are out there having very successful careers and they just happen to be doing something they love to do. So I think you're exactly right.
SPEAKER_00I think we all too have a defining moment of when we wanted to switch to the arts as our major. Um I was like I said, I switched my the end of my second sem first semester of my second year here. Um and during that first semester, Mark Mothersbaugh came to visit as a visiting artist. I don't know if y'all know who that is. Um so he's a pretty awesome guy, and he did a talk at Bardo and he was insane. He was crazy, but I loved him. And I actually went up to him on stage after his talk and I got him to sign one of my sketchbooks. But I asked him, I said, you know, I'm you know, a young artist, you know, just starting. What advice do you have for me? And he looked at me and he said, Do something so great that nobody can ever deny it. And so um, that was very inspiring. I live with that to this day. So thank you, Mark Motherspot. If you are out there listening, you are awesome.
SPEAKER_03I love that. I love that. Well, changing subject just a little bit, um, you know, there's this thing that that affected all of us in this region. And I'm just curious, um, how did Hurricane Helene uh affect you or your business? Um, or if at all, I'm just curious.
SPEAKER_00Um, so I believe, you know, we we were really blessed, you know, to not be affected as worse as other businesses were. So we had just bought or took over the business September one and Helene hit September 23. Is that right? So yeah, right at the end of our first month of owning a business. And so we were dependent on online ordering at that point. And you know, um we how we get our coffee too is via mail. So we how we get our raw coffee into our shop is we get it through um a truck that came from, you know, New Jersey. And so when all of I-40 was closed, you know, we had a delay in getting our coffee in and sending our coffee out. So that affected us for a good while. Um, but you know, we we were really blessed to not be severely affected from by that.
SPEAKER_03Um probably affected your consumers more than you directly, so indirectly, I guess, right? Yeah. Yeah. What about you, Nicole?
SPEAKER_02Um, I had a similar situation to Maddie's. Thankfully, I was unscathed from the direct devastation of Helene. Um, I live here in Kulloe, so we got pretty lucked out with the weather here. Um our studio was also okay in Bryson, but really what we had issues with was our supply as well. Um our major clay supplier was named Highwater Clay, and they were based out of Asheville, and they were right off of the river, and so they are no more, unfortunately. So we've had to pivot our clay supply. Um, think at the moment we're ordering clay from a company called Kentucky Mudworks, based out of Kentucky. Um, so we've lost access to various clay bodies, but obviously we can pivot. It's not it's not devastational.
SPEAKER_03That's really sad. How ironic the name of that company that's kind of creepy. But um anyway. Well, I just was curious. That that obviously did uh did affect our area and it continues to. Um although it is pretty neat seeing some of the videos coming out of some of these communities that are finally bouncing back and um and getting back to the well, the new normal, I guess you I guess you say. You want to ask the next one?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I do. I really do. Well, um uh just to kind of close this off, um I I do just want to like come back to the fact that you know we are all from the same section. Uh our are Lil Reeds, they are our family. And I just want to know if either of you guys have any words that you would want to say to future Lil Reeds that come through our section. Maddie?
SPEAKER_00Um first off, the low reads are the best section. I'm very biased. But um, you know, just keep going, you know. Um I feel like the low reads have a lot of fun. I think we kind of realize we're kind of in the background a little bit, but you know, um, you know, have fun, you know, um just keep pushing forward, man. Just keep doing it. It's you know, it's gonna be tough some days. You know, just keep keep doing it, man.
SPEAKER_02Nicole. Um, specifically to low read members as well, I would say like everybody in the entire band, but especially in the low read section, is one of the most familial-like sections in the band. And I'm obviously biased as well, but I do believe that way. Um, just due to the nature of the way the section's created, we've got a variety of instruments. So there's the Barry Saxes, there's bass clarinets, and also tenor saxophones. And all those instruments and people bring a wonderful variety and personality to the section. And everybody is super kind and willing to help you no matter how long they've been there and no matter what they're studying. Um, so yeah, I would just say like try to enjoy every moment. Everybody can be your friend if you're willing to ask them their name and put in the effort. Um and just know that you're there for a reason. There's uh plenty of people that would do anything to be in your spot. And um you're constantly inspiring other people. So yeah, enjoy every moment. Even when it's hot outside, even when it's early, there will be a day that you wish to have those turf turds in your shoes.
SPEAKER_00Dude, I tell you what, time goes by so fast once you graduate. Like it does. I do. It really does. Yeah. My last season of Pottum was like five years ago. And that's how long I was on Pottum, and that is so weird and crazy. And I'm getting old.
SPEAKER_02So it's also I was thinking it's also cool because all of us have spent a large deal of time in the band, I'd say, as compared to other members that maybe can only march for two or three years with like school schedules and stuff. We're very fortunate to march for five, five years, six years, and seven years. Amen. So just the amount of people that we've gotten to meet over time that are at different ages and at different like levels of their life and careers and what have you, has been very cool to connect with all those people too.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. I'm actually really glad that you brought that up because I did want to give a little bit of a shout out to who I kind of considered were a bit of matriarchs to our uh section in the late 2010s, but uh our section leader, Taylor Neves. Uh she was section leader in 19 and 20, and also the section leader and uh caption coordinator Colin Whiteley. I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that those two are amazing individuals, and uh I just I I can't talk about how great the low read section is without bringing those two up because they've just um they they're the best role models I've ever had. Sorry. It's okay. Nah, but for real. Uh love Taylor and uh and Colin and they're they're you know they're both doing so great right now. Uh we got to see Taylor's new baby at homecoming this past year, and oh my god, he's so cute. And and uh Colin is doing great career-wise, man. He's just out there making a difference. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Well, I just was gonna say, you know, I think that uh y'all are a real testament to something that I think does happen throughout the band. Um a lot of people ask me about the sheer size of the band sometimes, because it is intimidating, especially when you have students coming in, and and it is amazing to me how many students tell me that they are in a section that was bigger that is bigger than their entire high school marching band. Um so to put that in perspective for a second, that's wild. So you it's intimidating too, I think, to a lot of our younger membership. Um and it looks like right now we're gonna have the largest freshman class uh that we have ever had.
SPEAKER_01I feel like we say that every year. How does it keep getting bigger? How does that happen?
SPEAKER_03And it is it is quite a bit bigger than the largest one we've ever had. So um I don't know what's going on with that, all that, but I love it. Uh there's there's there's room for um lots of great new talent to come in here and continue to push the thing um further, you know, and and to, you know, get us where we need to be into the future. But my point is, though, I I think that with the size of the band, um, I think a lot of the connections really do happen within sections. I I think that that familial, family atmosphere, really getting to know those people because you spend so much time in sections, um, be there in sectionals or getting ready on game day or whatever it may be, um, you really get to know those people, and that's where those real connections happen. Doesn't mean that those people don't learn other people in the band, but there's something special and a special kind of bond that happens. And yeah, the Low Reeds are definitely their own animal for sure.
SPEAKER_01We do things differently, baby. What kind of animal would we be? It would be a sloth, for sure.
SPEAKER_03Without a doubt.
SPEAKER_02This low reeds would be like, for those that don't know, that's our section hype. His name is Kenny, and he has a wonderful sloth.
SPEAKER_00I'm still mourning tree bark. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03We're into we're into inside jokes now. So but yeah, it's it is as you can see, it's just a pretty amazing connection that that people get within their sections. And I think that's just a super cool thing about band, and especially this band. So um anyway, I just I just think it's fabulous.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you so much for tuning into this episode of the Showtime Podcast. Thank you so much, Nicole and Maddie, for coming in and talking about your business and being in the section. And thank you so much for your continued contributions to the Western North Carolina area. Uh a huge special thank you to our main man Sam Wallace and everyone who supports the Pride of the Mountains marching band. Shout out to our friends over on the Western Wednesdays podcast. Stay tuned with them to keep in touch with more Western alumni.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. And long purple line, uh, we see you out there. Can't wait to see you cheering in the stands. Uh current members can't wait to see you on the field. We're actually getting ready to start auditions coming up this weekend, so that's all going great. And of course, Google Cats.