The band has performed three other years at Griffins games. Last year, Tithof sent in a recording from the school gym due to COVID-19. Tithof completes an online application in order to have the opportunity to perform.
All but one of the 36-member band participated. Students and family members pay for tickets, and a portion of those tickets are donated back to the Vanguard music program.
“I do this to help expose the kids to bigger performance opportunities that they might see in high school if they decide to stay in band,” Tithof said. “It gives them an opportunity as well to bond with other classmates that they might not normally bond with; it creates sort of family within our band.”
When school starts, Tithof has the band students learning and practicing “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a warm-up and for the past month have really focused on it in class.
About Vanguard Charter Academy
Vanguard Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Wyoming, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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