Strangers performing together: The Buckeye Boys State Band

During Boys State assemblies, the American Legion Buckeye Boys State (ALBBS) Band performs music to entertain delegates and to set the tone for each night’s proceedings.

Created at the first ALBBS in 1936, the Band has played at every Buckeye Boys State since then. In its almost ninety year history, the band has had four directors.

At its creation, the ALBBS band was directed by Pete DeWeese, who directed the band for 45 years. DeWeese was followed by another man who directed for 3 years until Dick Alberts assumed direction of the band.

Today, Jeff Jordan, an alumni of the Ohio State Marching Band, directs the Band. He has directed since 2017, and is partially responsible for many of the newer songs the band performs.

The Band plays a mix of concertos, marches, and arrangements of popular songs from the 2010s and beyond.

“Director Alberts modernized a lot of the music, and then I brought a lot of new stuff, a little more contemporary.” Jordan said in regards to the music.

The Band and music serve the purpose of setting the tone for each night’s assembly. Depending on the situation, Jordan asks the band to play a specific song.

“Today we’re going to play upbeat music because it’s an election. We should be excited about that…Tomorrow, it’s going to be…formal music because we’re doing an inauguration, and it’s a formal program,” Jordan said about the types and purpose of music.

While the ALBBS band sets the tone for assemblies, it also provides members a greater sense of purpose. Edwin Parez-Garcia, a member of the ALBBS Band’s trumpet section, expressed the pride the band gives him.

“A lot of the kids in the crowd cheer…as a musician, [it] makes me feel proud of myself,” Parez-Garcia said.

The Band will perform every night for the rest of ALBBS. Unlike other bands, no members knew each other before arriving at ALBBS, and now perform nightly in front of a crowd of 800.