New Northwest Drum Major Preparing For Fall Marching Season

Brynden Foster of Senatobia has been named drum major for the 2017 Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger Band. This year’s halftime show, “Best of Motown” features favorites such as “I’ll Be There,” “Papa was a Rolling Stone,” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” The band will make its debut at the annual “Meet the Rangers” event on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. on the Senatobia campus. (Photo by LaJuan Tallo)

Brynden Foster of Senatobia has been named drum major of the Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger Band for 2017-2018, according to Jared Brownlee, marching band director.

Foster is the son of Bert Foster of Senatobia and Kristie Foster of Senatobia. He is a 2017 graduate of Senatobia High School where he was drum major for three years, from his sophomore through senior years. He is a freshman studying general college at Northwest. “I plan on taking both theatre and music classes in order to decide what to major in when I go to the university,” Foster said. Foster has a great interest in musical theatre, he said.
Foster’s theatre career actually began at Northwest in 2008 when he was cast in a Northwest production of “Medea.” Since then, he has appeared in 42 productions in his high school and in area theatres, such as DeSoto Family Theatre and Panola Playhouse.
While he enjoyed his time as drum major in high school, he is looking forward to the new challenge as drum major of the Ranger Band. “I feel like I had some freedom at Senatobia, but it was disciplined freedom,” Foster said. He believes his time at Senatobia gave him some needed leadership skills that will help him as Northwest’s drum major and he looks forward to being a part of the Ranger Band. Foster is a French horn player, who attributes his interest in the instrument to James Ungurait, the son of John Ungurait, Northwest’s director of bands. “James really inspired me to pursue French horn,” Foster said.
“I’m very excited to be here to have a new experience so close to what I am used to. It’s really interesting to see how different things are here, even though I was literally just across the street,” Foster said.
“Brynden is an exceptional young man. We are excited to have a drum major with Brynden’s demeanor and experience lead the Ranger band this fall,” Brownlee said.
This fall the Ranger Marching Band’s show, “Best of Motown” features favorites such as “I’ll Be There,” “Papa was a Rolling Stone,” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” according to Brownlee.
The 2017 Ranger Band will make their debut at “Meet the Rangers.” The event will be held Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. on Bobby Franklin Field at Ranger Stadium on the Senatobia campus. The new Ranger Football Complex will be open at 6 p.m. that evening for touring before the Meet the Rangers event.
Northwest’s first home game is Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. when the Rangers take on the Hinds Eagles.
For more information about the Ranger Band program, contact Brownlee at 662-562-3336 or e-mail jbrownlee@northwestms.edu.

Courtesy of LaJuan Tallo and Northwest Community College
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