New NWCC Drum Majors Come from Olive Branch, Hernando

Morgan Van Nortwick of Olive Branch (left) and Kacie Crain of Hernando have been named drum majors for the 2014 Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger Band. This year’s halftime show will feature music from the movie “Pitch Perfect.” The band will make its debut at the annual “Meet the Rangers” event on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. on the Senatobia campus. Photo by LaJuan Tallo

Morgan Van Nortwick of Olive Branch and Kacie Crain of Hernando have been named drum majors of the Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger Band for 2014-2015, according to Justin Robinson, band director.

Van Nortwick is a freshman general college major and Fine Arts scholarship recipient. She was drum major at Olive Branch High School last year. She took private flute lessons starting in fifth grade and started in the Olive Branch band program in sixth grade. She played piccolo in the marching band her sophomore and junior years at Olive Branch High School.

Van Nortwick was a member of the choir and has participated in honor choirs and plays piano. She is the daughter of John and Robin Van Nortwick of Olive Branch. She has one brother, Nathan, who is a junior at Freed – Hardeman University.

Crain, who was drum major at Hernando High School last year, is a freshman general college major, who plans to pursue a major in aviation when she leaves Northwest. She has Presidential and Fine Arts scholarships. Crain plays alto saxophone, and was a section leader her junior year of high school. She coaches gymnastics at ConXion Gymnastics in Hernando and does tumbling. She is the daughter of Byron and Sonnie Crain of Hernando. She has one sister, Shannon Bolton, a nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital DeSoto and a brother, Josh, a junior at Hernando High School.

This fall the Ranger Marching Band’s show features music from the movie “Pitch Perfect”, and features the songs “ Blame It on the Boogie,” “Just the Way You Are” and “Don’t You Forget About Me,” according to Robinson.

“We are excited to have two incoming students serve as leaders and drum majors for our program this year.  Kacie and Morgan come to us from Hernando and Olive Branch, respectively. Both were successful drum majors for their band programs, and helped lead their band programs to a third and second place finish in 6A competition this past year.  These young ladies have already shown commitment, responsibility and service to our program in the short time they have been with us. We are looking forward to what their leadership can help us accomplish during their time at Northwest,” Robinson said.

The 2014 Ranger Band will make their debut at “Meet the Rangers.” The event will be held Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. on Bobby Franklin Field at Ranger Stadium on the Senatobia campus. Northwest’s first home game is Thursday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. when the Rangers take on the Jones County Junior College Bobcats.

For more information about the Ranger Band program, contact Robinson at 662-562-3336 or e-mail jrobinson@northwestms.edu.