Matt Harloff Takes the Helm for the Avon Marching Black and Gold

Writer / Melissa Gibson
Photographer / Amy Payne

Matt Harloff loves music.

Born and raised in Iowa, Harloff’s father is a retired band director, exposing Harloff to marching bands, drum corps and all things music related.

“The Drum Corps International Championships are held in Indianapolis every year and that was like a family vacation for us,” Harloff says. “We loved being a part of it. Eventually I loved performing in it, and I just knew I wanted to be around that.”

After serving as assistant director under former Director Jay Webb for Avon’s Marching Black and Gold since 1996, this past summer Harloff was named band director of the prestigious program.

“It’s weird for me to say band director, because there are so many people that do so many things for the entire team,” Harloff says. “There’s this culture that was created before me. I think it’s a great testament to the personality of our community. We work hard and that’s what I love about Avon.”

Harloff has been the only assistant director with Avon’s Marching Black and Gold, an unusual accomplishment to say the least.

In a world where many of us change jobs multiple times throughout our careers, Harloff can say he’ll hold his position at the same school throughout.

“If you think about it, this is the first year that someone other than myself has been the assistant band director,” he said. “My entire career will be at one place, but ultimately it’s all about the kids.”

It’s not hard to imagine the high-pressure challenge Harloff has on his hands. The Avon Marching Black and Gold has placed in the top three in both state and national competitions for the past 15 years – an incredible record of success to which other bands aspire.

Harloff says he not only welcomes the pressure, but also that receiving a medal isn’t even his top goal.

“I look at pressure as a privilege,” he says. “If you have pressure, then you know you’re doing something right. It’s an honor to have pressure and you want it. There is that competitive success, but there’s a much bigger picture to all of this.”

That bigger picture includes growth, inspiration and memories for students, and this means challenging music, fresh shows and the mission to make each year the best it can be.

“Performing on the biggest stage in front of a lot of people is something they’ll never forget, and it can only help them be successful in the future,” Harloff says. “It’s often like that great family vacation. In the last couple of days, you don’t want this to end. It was awesome and of course we’re excited to try something new, but we’re not ready for this season to end.”

Avon Community School Corporation recently announced their marching band will be traveling to New York City to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2024. While it’s still a way off, and staff are just now making travel plans and getting things in order, it’s just the type of memory Harloff hopes to bring to his students.

“The first time I went to New York City was for the Macy’s parade and I’ll never forget it,” he says. “You see pictures of the city, but it’s totally different when you’re actually there. I’m excited for our students, to watch their faces while they experience this, and I’m excited for our community. It’s going to be really cool to see our community represented in this parade that’s watched by millions every year.”

However, Harloff’s first order of business is the 2023 season, and he’s got plenty of reason to look forward to it.

“My daughter is a senior and is a drum major this year,” he says. “There’s always a personal connection to not only her but her class, so I’m excited about that first and foremost. I’m also excited to work with our staff, students and parents to make this season one that is special, and one that everyone remembers for a long time.”

The season, Harloff says, is a long one. They begin working on a new program almost as soon as the last one is complete. New music, new choreography and new students coming on board takes a lot of work, to create the final performance we see in the stands.

Several nights per week the band practices. They perform at Avon High School home football games and will compete nearly every Saturday through mid-November, completing the season with the Indiana State School Music Association state competition, and Bands of America National Championships.

The 2023 show title is “Tableaux.”

“We’re creating frames throughout the show and ultimately the students will be in the frames, like motionless figures depicting a scene,” Harloff says. “Our music is taken from a well-known piece called ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ by Modest Mussorgsky. It makes perfect sense. Daniel Wiles is the mastermind behind all of our shows and we’re having a blast working on this.”

Ultimately, Harloff says the shows and the awards pale in comparison to what he hopes students receive from participating in the program.

“A huge part of our program is about education and inspiration,” he says. “We want to help them get to where they want to be. There can be those rough days, and I often say that if you’ve ever seen your mom get sick or injured, no matter what, she’s there. We have to be as tough as that – as strong as that. We have to do what it takes to be great, and in the process they’re learning how to work with others, work ethic, paying attention to detail, never to be satisfied, and to always fight to be the best you can possibly be.”

In fact, everything the students learn in the band can be applied to everyday life. While it may not be a performance every time, moving into college and adult life with the skills to organize and manage time, pay attention to detail and work with others will go a long way in any field or profession.

“It’s so much more than playing the right notes,” Harloff says. “I can’t count how many students who have come up to all of our directors and told stories of how they went on to be professionals in other things besides music, and what they were able to take away from the band activity.”

To achieve the goals, Harloff gives credit to all the people who make the award-winning program what it is today.

“The Avon band is full of people who make it great,” he says. “It’s not just one person. There are so many people that aren’t in the band room every day. It’s our community, our administration, our parents and our staff. That’s the biggest thing for me. This is a team effort.”

Follow the Avon Marching Black and Gold’s 2023 season at avonband.com, or on their Facebook page.