This Thursday afternoon October 16th, the Reeltown High School Band, Eric Thompson, director, will be joining the Auburn Symphonic Winds, on Auburn’s campus, to rehearse and record a piece written for Reeltown Band student, Melody Jackson. Melody, a RHS saxophonist, passed away in February of 2024 from adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.
Melody selflessly gave back to her Alma Mater, and the band she so loved. using her wish through the Make a Wish Foundation to provide her band with new uniforms. In her honor, both groups will be recording a new piece by composer Brian Balmages, entitled “The Gift of Giving”, with the composer conducting the combined ensemble. The groups will record the piece side by side on Auburn’s campus, with the RHS students proudly wearing their new uniforms while the AU Symphonic Winds joins them in their concert black.
As the composer says, “It is hard to comprehend anyone being so selfless, and this is a powerful reminder that the act of giving not only benefits the recipient, but is also a gift to those who donate, whether it is in the form of money, time, or countless other ways of giving. The gift of giving benefits everyone. In a world that often seems so full of anger, hate, and division, we need to do everything we can to highlight the beautiful aspects of humanity. Melody did, and so can we.”
