Brownsburg Bands Tune Up for Exciting 2023-2024 Season
Writer / Melissa Gibson
Photography Provided
For those following the Brownsburg High School band program, it won’t be a surprise that they are gearing up for a new and exciting season in 2023-2024.
For those who don’t follow Brownsburg bands – you’re missing out.
The 2022-2023 school year brought five different band ensembles to the state finals, which was a first in the school corporation’s band program history.
The marching band and guard placed fourth in the Indiana State School Musical Association (ISSMA) competition. Brownsburg made the national finals for the first time, and tied for seventh place at the BOA Grand Nationals.
Brownsburg’s winter guard placed sixth in Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships, and earned first place at the Indiana High School Color Guard Association state finals.
The winter percussion group took second place at the Indiana Percussion Association state finals, and earned a bronze medal at the WGI Percussion World Championship with a score of 96.3, the highest score in the program’s history.
Concert band, freshman band, wind ensemble and symphonic band, as well as the philharmonic orchestras, freshman orchestra and Brownsburg symphony orchestra, all received a gold rating through various ISSMA competitions.
Behind all of last year’s success are Co-directors Chris Kaflik and Chris Paulson, and they’re excited to do it again in the 2023-2024 school year.
Kaflik got an early start in his music career, joining the band in the sixth grade at Carmel. He attended Ball State University for music education, and spent time early in his career with the nationally recognized Broken Arrow Marching Band in Oklahoma. In 2015 he moved back to Brownsburg.
“I was excited about the opportunity because Brownsburg is a great area,” Kaflik says. “We have a great band, but there was a lot of room to improve on what the band could do. I feel like things were prime to really take off when I got here, and we’ve seen progressive growth over the years.”
Paulson is also a Ball State University graduate and has had a passion for music for as long as he can remember.
“I got my feet wet working with the band at Carmel, and then worked with Penn High School and Jefferson High School,” Paulson says. “This will be my second year with Brownsburg and I am super excited to be working with a like-minded team.”
While the two oversee the marching band, four concert bands and color guard, they also have a large staff, including those at the middle school level, specializing in a variety of music areas and helping students to hone in on their specific skills.
Kaflik believes the success, in addition to a specialized staff, stems from a focused goal of establishing a culture of excellence in every Brownsburg band program.
“When you set higher standards, students will work to reach those standards,” Kaflik says. “Our subject is so unique that we have to demand near perfection with every performance. If you can imagine sitting in a math class or biology class and you score 90% on a test, you’re feeling pretty good. But if we step onto a stage and perform at 90%, you would be shocked at how bad we sound.”
Those higher standards have paid off, as Brownsburg’s band members are setting themselves apart and getting noticed within the community, state and across the country.
“The wind ensemble was invited to perform at the Indiana Music Education Association conference in January,” Kaflik says. “This is the first time we’ve played there, and Chris and I were just talking about what five or six pieces we’d like to play. It’s a big deal to receive the invitation, and a stepping stone for longer-term goals.”
Much of the focus on the band program overall is placed squarely on the shoulders of the marching band members. They are out on the football field throughout the fall, and serve as the more visible area of the program in parades, events and other activities.
However, it’s invitations like the one from the Indiana Music Education Association that stand out to the directors.
“I kind of chuckle when people talk about the band program breaking records, because it’s such a small part of what we do,” Paulson says. “Yes, there’s the flashy uniforms and cool performances at the football game, but it’s such a byproduct of the grind of every day in the classroom, teaching these students the skill sets they’ll need in life.”
Paulson says the state convention is full of opportunity.
“This is a place where you’re surrounded by people doing this every day,” Paulson says. “They come to learn something new, to be inspired, to hear some music and learn about programming. It’s a chance for us to showcase some of the outstanding work we’re doing in our classrooms every day. It puts Brownsburg High School in the public eye and in the music community in our state – a great opportunity.”
Kaflik is looking forward to this fall, and is excited about the new music and performances planned.
“I’d say this is the most complex show we’ve put together for the marching band,” Kaflik says. “We’ve become known for visual aesthetic and we’re going to take that a bit further this year.”
The marching band is also set to perform in Orlando this winter, possibly in a Disney parade at Magic Kingdom.
“We’re always looking for fun things we can do with our younger bands too,” Paulson says. “We would love to pair up with a community partner or do a side-by-side concert. It’s important to put those kinds of opportunities in front of them.”
Kaflik and Paulson hope students develop a love and passion for music, but it’s not the ultimate goal.
“We’re not necessarily trying to create music majors, the next band director or a musical prodigy,” Kaflik says. “If they want to play when they’re older, great, and if they don’t, that’s OK too. We hope when they leave here, they know how to hold themselves to a higher standard, whether that applies to music or architecture or whatever field they choose to pursue.”
The band directors appreciate the opportunity to work with students for four or more years as they begin their music endeavors in middle school. It allows them to serve as mentors, leaders and guides beyond the one semester that the typical student will attend a class.
“For me, I feel like I teach humans through music,” Paulson says. “The most important thing is when they leave our program, whether or not they continue to make music is secondary. Are you a better human? Obviously I’m passionate about music, but there’s so much work to do. It starts with respecting each other and working with others whether you like them or not. People are trusting you to do your job, and teaching those kinds of skills is so important.”
Follow the Brownsburg band program at brownsburgbands.com or on Facebook @BrownsburgBands.
