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On A Water Break With Alta Marea & University of Alabama Guard Co-Director, Brandy Keeton
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🎙️ ON A WATER BREAK WITH... BRANDY KEETON
Hosted by Jackie Brown and Stephanie Click
This week, we’re heading to Tuscaloosa for a bonus episode featuring the powerhouse behind the University of Alabama Color Guard and Alta Marea—Brandy Keeton! From her early days as a shy baton twirler in Athens, Alabama, to leading one of the most visible and successful collegiate color guard programs in the country, Brandy’s story is full of heart, hustle, and high tide energy.
Join hosts Jackie Brown @spintronixguard and Stephanie Click @stephanieclick as they sit down with Brandy for her 32 Count Life Story, and unpack her journey from Crimsonette to co-director of a WGI medalist program. In this episode, we dive into:
- How Brandy balances SEC football, high school teaching, and directing a world-class winter guard
- The unique structure of Alta Marea—all members are Million Dollar Band students!
- What it’s like to juggle fall football performances on ESPN and prepare for WGI World Class debut in the same season
- University support for the guard—including athletic trainers and realistic fees
- How Alta Marea evolved from a fall training tool into a full-fledged competitive program
✨ In our Water We Doing segment, Brandy calls out the chaos of the UD Arena rain plan and shares the now-iconic “ShamWow moment” backstage in Dayton.
💖 And in Gush and Go, she celebrates Alta Marea’s incredible 2025 season and drops big news: record-breaking audition numbers and early plans for 2026!
💬 Want to be on the show?
Email us at: TheOnAWaterBreakPodcast@gmail.com
OR fill out our guest interest form here: https://forms.gle/7GcpYZLfY8Uo54pp9
📲 Follow Brandy and Her Teams:
TikTok: @theblondebobshell
Instagram: @altamarea_cg | @milliondollarband
Facebook: Alta Marea Winterguard | Million Dollar Band Color Guard
🎧 Follow & Subscribe:
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YouTube: On A Water Break
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts!
🧳 Sponsored by:
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Announcement
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone, and welcome to another bonus episode of On a Water Break with... where we spotlight the incredible people shaping marching arts. From performers to designers to educators, we are here to learn from their stories and find out what keeps them coming back season after season.
Guest Spotlight: Brandi Keene's Journey
00:00:16
Speaker
This time, we're going on a water break with the University of Alabama Color Guard Director, Brandi Keene. Eight off the mat and go. Welcome to On a Water Break.
00:00:30
Speaker
It's time for a water break.
00:00:41
Speaker
Hello everyone, it's Jackie and I am super excited to be doing this bonus episode with you because I have seen your stuff all over social media and and I'm just excited to talk to you about this. But before we get started, don't forget to follow us at On A Water Break, subscribe and leave us a review. It really helps others in this activity find us and join in the conversation.
00:01:03
Speaker
Now, I am not alone on the sidelines today. Joining me is the perfect person talk to our guest. Hey, Stephanie. Hello. How are you? i am doing great. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever and ever. Like, how are you? like Especially after this amazing winter guard season.
00:01:23
Speaker
I am trying to recover, actually. But I am well and excited and had a great season. I just came back from two straight weeks in Dayton. So I'm just trying to catch my breath. But I'm so glad to be back with you guys today.
00:01:38
Speaker
This catch your breath is real. i know we've done like the parent episodes and whatever and talked about like what it's like to be a parent in the marching arts and like I feel like you're kind of on the other end that of this journey that I'm just starting. so Yes, that's right. Okay, but that's goals right there. You are goals, ma'am.
Exploring Influences and Opportunities
00:01:56
Speaker
You can do it. You can make it.
00:01:59
Speaker
Well, today's guest is someone whose passion and influence can be seen across both the collegiate and independent circuits, which is an amazing expanse to cover.
00:02:10
Speaker
and So from the field of the University of Alabama all the way to the winter floor with Alta Maria, Maria? Please welcome Brandi Keaton to the sidelines. Hey y'all.
00:02:23
Speaker
Am I saying that right? I don't even know after all this time. I've only seen it like in writing. It is Alta Marea, which means high tide in Italian. i love that so much.
00:02:37
Speaker
Well, Brandy, before we get ahead of ourselves, um we always start off with a very special little tradition here. It's called the 32-count life story.
00:02:47
Speaker
So what we're going to do is you'll get eight counts off the Met, and then the Met is going to give you 32 counts to tell us your entire journey from your birth to today. i mean, are you ready?
00:02:59
Speaker
i am so ready. Yes. All right, let's do it Well, I'm country as cornbread. I'm from Athens, Alabama. I started baton twirling when I was five years old, and I twirled my entire life.
00:03:15
Speaker
um I played trumpet in middle school bands, and then my first year going into high school, I actually didn't make majorette or color guard, so I marched trumpet my first year in high school. And then I finally made majorette, and then I was a majorette for three years.
00:03:30
Speaker
And then I went to the University of Alabama where I was a Crimsonette for five years. I met my husband in the Million Dollar Band, but we were actually friends for six years. Wow. Before we went on our first date.
00:03:44
Speaker
They say if you're friends, then first, that's like the best way to do it. So yeah, that's right. so So can you expand upon what you did after college? How did you wind up in this position of the director at Alabama now?
00:04:04
Speaker
Well, first of all, I would have to say I'm not the only director. It's me and Mr. Steve Simpson. So I can't take all the credit for everything that's happened. He actually brought me on board, i guess, about 21 years ago. So I twirled for five years as a Crimsonette.
00:04:22
Speaker
And then I stayed close to the program, even though I had graduated and taught in Tuscaloosa because I'm a school teacher as well. I teach 10th grade English And I teach a dance class here at school. I'm in my classroom right now.
00:04:37
Speaker
But anyways, after I had been away for just a couple of years, because my last year to March was 2000, I think in 2003, i think in two thousand and He said, well, hey, how about you come on board and start working with the color guard?
00:04:54
Speaker
And so it was just an opportunity that came to my door. And I said, sure, i would love. And I'm really self-taught.
00:05:05
Speaker
Everything good. flag or rifle or saber. I'm pretty much self-taught because I never marched color guard on my own, but I did take dance classes and of course my baton.
00:05:17
Speaker
And so the opportunity literally came to me and here I am 21 years later and we started Alta Marea together, think in 2006 maybe was our first season.
00:05:31
Speaker
And here we are. it's been an awesome journey.
00:05:38
Speaker
That's such a testament to like how our professional lives, especially in the marching arts, are can sometimes just be like who you know and chance happenings and where you're at. You're in the right place at the right time.
00:05:53
Speaker
And he definitely just took a chance on me. I mean... which I love the Million Dollar Band with my whole heart. I was so invested in that program for five years. And so the fact that he was willing to give me a shot to start working with the color guard and be in that environment, you know, outside of my career of teaching school, i mean, I just feel so blessed.
Impact of Million Dollar Band
00:06:19
Speaker
So Stephanie has a special connection to you as well. Just for our listeners who didn't haven't heard, Stephanie, do you want to explain what that connection is?
00:06:30
Speaker
It is. I also love the Million Dollar Band, even though I didn't go to the University of Alabama. But my connection with Brandy started four years ago when my son Avery auditioned and got a spot in the front ensemble of the Million Dollar Band.
00:06:44
Speaker
And so even though we're in Texas, and we started coming to football games as often as our schedule allowed. And I was able to meet Brandy right off. We had actually met back in 2006. I'm going to hop back a second. The very first season that Altamarea existed was the last season that our family lived in Tennessee.
00:07:03
Speaker
And so so I was there that very first season. I remember them well. And then reconnected when we went back and when Avery was freshman year. And of course, we're dragging Piper along with us.
00:07:14
Speaker
She only applied to Alabama. I tried. I was like, don't put all your eggs in one basket. And she would not hear of applying anywhere else. And so Alabama was her one and done.
00:07:25
Speaker
and And she knew immediately that would be in the color garden knew that, you know, I think probably from the first visit that we made and we saw Avery. And so we, of course, when we went to football games, would talk to Brandy, and Mr. Simpson and the rest of the staff to kind of see what it was like. And And, you know, what she needed to do, if she needed any more skills or and how auditions went, that kind of thing.
00:07:50
Speaker
So she has just finished her second year at the University of Alabama, second year in Alta Marea, is working on her tryouts that I think are in two weeks. working on her tryout routine to come back for year three. But it has been just the most glorious experience for her and and for both of my kids with Million Dollar Band. I could write a poster, obviously, about a podcast talking about it.
00:08:13
Speaker
But it really has been just the most amazing experience for our kids. And Brandy is a huge part of that story for our family. i love that.
00:08:26
Speaker
So Brandy, what were you like growing up? Were you always drawn performing or like, like what kind of brought you into, you know, twirling and wanting to be in marching band?
00:08:38
Speaker
Well, I was actually painfully shy growing up and to the point where i wouldn't even call and order a Domino's pizza over the phone. Like I was painfully shy and my mama put me in dance classes um I think when I was five, four or five.
00:08:59
Speaker
and It just didn't settle with me. And then that's when I started Baton is when I was five. And I knew that there was something I loved about it.
00:09:11
Speaker
I just wasn't sure just yet what it was because I still got really nervous at recitals and things like that. I just, I would just be so uptight and so anxious.
00:09:23
Speaker
But the older I got, the more I became comfortable with what I was doing and, Really getting into middle school bands really helped a lot. And then by the time I got into high school, like I really started to flourish and love being in front of people and putting on a show and became more comfortable with that. And so,
00:09:49
Speaker
but It's kind of funny when I tell my students here at school when they don't want to get in front of the class, I'm like, if you'll just start doing it, it gets easier. And I think that's just what I had to experience. I had to just keep doing it and keep doing it until I became comfortable with it.
00:10:06
Speaker
So that's kind of what I was like.
00:10:14
Speaker
Can you remember the exact moment that you were like, okay, marching arts, that's what I'm doing? When do you think that the bug finally got you? It was my freshman year of high school playing that trumpet.
00:10:26
Speaker
I loved band camp because our high school band director would take us out town for band camp. We would go to Camp Alpine for boys and stay in these cabins for a whole week from Sunday to Sunday.
00:10:42
Speaker
And no television, no phone. It was just us, the band and practicing all day long. And I just absolutely fell in love with it. And then when the performances came on Friday night, I loved it even more. And the rest is history.
00:11:03
Speaker
Those away camps. Oh, my gosh. They're the best. Away camps are the best. A lot of shenanigans at the away camps. You know what? The shenanigans, though, that's what you binds you, like bonds you with your teammates and makes you all work well together. And like, yes, it's just so good for you.
00:11:25
Speaker
Outside the activity, what's something people might be surprised to know about you? That I love WWE wrestling. oh I'm a big wrestling fan.
00:11:38
Speaker
would never guess. But when I was growing up, I loved watching. And that was back when it was like WWF and it was Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior.
00:11:49
Speaker
I loved watching wrestling. And so when they would come to Huntsville for the Saturday night main event, my daddy would take me and my stepsister to the wrestling matches.
00:12:00
Speaker
And I remember one time we stayed in the hotel where all the wrestlers were staying. So I got to meet Brett Hitman Hart and And the British Bulldog and a bunch of them get autographs. I had my little poodle perm go in.
00:12:13
Speaker
I was like 13. Absolutely loved it. And I loved it for a really long time. I had posters up in my room. And I'll never forget, i came home from band camp and my mama had girlified my room.
00:12:28
Speaker
Took all my wrestling posters down. i had this flowery wallpaper, the whole bit. I was so mad at her. But I kind of fell away from it for a little while. Once bands became a large part of my life, um I kind of fell away from it because I was so busy with that.
00:12:47
Speaker
But then when COVID happened, WWE opened the vaults and we're playing like all the WrestleManias and I got back into it and so i still occasionally watch it. Oh my gosh, that is so funny. I would never in my wallet reason miss that though. I love it.
00:13:08
Speaker
I feel like it it's like with the showiness of all of the wrestling though. Like it's not just about the wrestling. It's about the characters and it's about the playing to the acting and stuff. I feel like there's, there is a connection there.
00:13:20
Speaker
We just haven't quite figured it out yet. Yeah. I have a shirt that I wear to practice sometimes and it's a Roman Reigns shirt. and It says wreck everyone and leave. And the girls know when I come to practice wearing that shirt, we about to get it.
00:13:35
Speaker
Yeah.
00:13:40
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that is so funny. Oops, my lights went out. Hang on. It happens. Yeah.
00:13:52
Speaker
We have motion sensor lights.
Personal Reflections and Advice
00:13:56
Speaker
Well, speaking of your classroom, did you know you always wanted to be a teacher or did that grow on you over time? What were your career, did you always think you would do? ah Well, I thought I was going to go into pre-law. Like I really wanted to be a criminal defense attorney for the longest time.
00:14:15
Speaker
And then I kind of realized that my morals didn't align with that career. who But now that I look back on it, I think.
00:14:26
Speaker
you know, God had a purpose for me to teach because when I was a little girl, I used to pretend like I was teaching school and I would have all the books and pencils out and my chalkboard and I would just be getting after it.
00:14:41
Speaker
And did that when I was little. And then, you know, I just started exploring what I really wanted to do because I actually think I was pre-law when I first started went into college and I ended up changing my major four times before I ended up in education.
00:15:00
Speaker
But now that I look back on it, I'm like, well, this makes perfect sense because every avenue of my life has come back to either teaching or coaching. So I really think I found my purpose and I probably had it in front of my face early on. I just didn't realize it.
00:15:18
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was a multiple major kid as well. And yeah, with every when I look back, I'm like, oh, I see this path exactly how this went. But yeah, so um I always tell kids that are going to college that are coming out of my program, don't be afraid to change your major.
00:15:36
Speaker
is When you know that's not what you want to do, don't feel like you're stuck the whole rest of your life because you went in and you told everybody you were going to major in whatever, that that's what you have to stick with. Like, this is the time, figure it out.
00:15:49
Speaker
But yeah, yeah. I just have to ask you about when you were, when you were little and you were, you were playing school, playing school at home, were you like roping siblings into this with you? Were you teaching your siblings?
00:16:01
Speaker
No, I was an only child. So all of my students were imaginary. Gotcha. Mine too. I did the same thing. Also an only child. I had a whole class and I mean, I'd put people in the corner and, but that's how I'd do my homework. I would write my problem on my chalkboard and I'd work it out. There you go. I teach my imaginary class as I was going through math worksheet or whatever I was doing.
00:16:26
Speaker
That's perfect. I don't know. I played school a lot, but I had three younger siblings. So they were my students. And now my brothers were doing multiplication tables in like the first grade. And then, but then I also became a teacher. So I just was wondering if that was everyone's trajectory.
00:16:45
Speaker
okay Who are some of your biggest inspirations or mentors early on in your career? um I think my, well, biggest inspiration and mentor would be my high school band director, Dan Havley.
00:16:59
Speaker
He was very gruff and very stern, but I think that's what everybody loved about him. it was his passion. he was very passionate every time he was in front of us.
00:17:12
Speaker
And he just had this grit about him. And grit is like my favorite word. If you ask any of the MDBCG, they'll tell you, oh grit's her favorite word. But he had this grit and this fire and this passion about the way He taught and had these expectations for us.
00:17:34
Speaker
And that had such a big impact on me. And he passed away, i guess, about two months ago. And my biggest regret is not ever telling him that how he impacted my life because he is the one educator that stands out to me the most out of all of the ones that ever taught me because ah of that passion he had for excellence.
00:18:02
Speaker
That's great. Everyone go out, tell your teachers. Yes. Thank you. And you appreciate them while you can. That's right.
00:18:13
Speaker
That's a good, that is a good, a good note for all of us.
00:18:19
Speaker
All right, well, we got to go warm up for these auditions. So we'll be right back after this words from our sponsors.
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:19:57
Speaker
So we were just talking while everybody was over there warming up and stretching. and Stephanie, do you want to and i take the lead about...
00:20:09
Speaker
What is it that Brandy does differently with her groups? So I'm sure we're going to hop in right now. We're going talk about a little bit about Altamarea.
00:20:22
Speaker
And so I think one of the cool things about Altamarea that a lot of people don't realize, it got a little bit of talk shortly after that But it's that all of the students in Altamarea, well, first of all, that they're students at the University of Alabama. So these are kids that are carrying full loads that are, you know, they're going to class by day and spinning by night and doing all of that.
00:20:46
Speaker
But they also are all members of the Million Dollar Band. So I'm not sure if you're familiar with Alabama football, but you should be if you're not. So one of the cool things before we let Brandy just really dive in about Alta Marea and all of the the backstory and all of that is that Alabama football is really good.
00:21:07
Speaker
And so and the way that the playoffs work now... it Your season for football could go from the first weekend of September from Labor Day. always go to that game from Labor Day all the way through to the third or fourth weekend of January.
00:21:23
Speaker
And so that's all well and good. Except that you're also trying to get your winter guard show on the floor and you're trying to teach that, but you're still spinning football. So Brandy, tell us a little bit about how you guys balanced the new playoff schedule and doing what you needed to do for the football community because you're on ESPN every weekend and you have all this national visibility, but you also had to do your part because you're going into world class for the first time. So you kind of, you were doing double duty on a national stage, both on a world class level.
00:21:57
Speaker
Yes. So first of all, it takes a village. So it's Mr. Simpson and myself. And then we have Karen Wilborn Brooke Howe and Savannah Fisher. And that is our team. And We all work so well together and it really helps having so many people like locked in and able to do so many different things because we do juggle a lot.
00:22:25
Speaker
Yes, all of the team, they are students at the University of Alabama. So not only are they students, some of them work on top of doing guard.
00:22:36
Speaker
And so they juggle a lot. And So our journey kind of starts at the end of July. We'll do like a mini camp in July. And that's where we implement a lot of our technique programs with movement and equipment and kind of really start checking the pulse of the team and kind of seeing what we've got to work with for the year, really, because of the way we do things.
00:23:05
Speaker
And then after that mini camp, we'll have about couple weeks off. Then we come back in for band camp. Band camp is usually a week and a half. Most of them are three a days.
00:23:16
Speaker
you know, we'll do a morning session, afternoon and night session. then classes start. And then, boy, once classes start, like, it is like rolling. Like, yeah no pun intended, we rolling. So we're practicing every day, 3.30 to 5.30.
00:23:33
Speaker
Wednesday nights, we have a sectional that starts at 7, and we go till we are squeezing blood out of the tournament. It's because we've got so much going on. Also, on top of all of this, we might be performing one halftime show but learning another.
00:23:49
Speaker
We're juggling that along with pregame. And then along about September, October-ish, we go, all right, it's time for some Altamarea.
00:24:00
Speaker
And so yeah it because we keep our membership to people who are in the Million Dollar Band Color Guard. We'll do a sign-up list. And if they are interested being a part of Altamarea, they put their name on the list.
00:24:15
Speaker
And then we have our first team meeting. And then we'll add Sundays. So we'll start in October meeting on some Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5. We always try to be very mindful of their study schedules, and their work schedules because they have all of that as well. So doing the nine to nine thing really doesn't work for us because we do try to be mindful of those other things.
00:24:43
Speaker
So we'll meet on some Sundays from one to five. and Our design team, which is Leon May and Keith Potter, they start, well, Leon starts coming in at some point, November-ish to start staging.
00:24:59
Speaker
And he'll stage some things and then he'll fly back out and then meet again. We'll choreograph what he staged and then he'll come back and then he'll look at what we've done and be like, oh, well, you need to do this, this, this, this and send us a list a mile long.
00:25:18
Speaker
And then so there's all of that through really the beginning of December. And then if we make what used to be SEC championship, sometimes we would go to the championship on Saturday night and then come back and do Winter Guard on Sunday.
00:25:34
Speaker
yeah But then after that first week in December, the girls have finals. And so after finals, we don't see them again.
00:25:46
Speaker
At all until we find out what the playoff game situation is going to be like. Or in years past, the bowl game situation. Right. We don't rehearse really in the month of December at all because that is their time to go home and see their families because we have people from all over the country And that's their time to go home and see family and have some downtime because they've been going at it every day since August.
00:26:16
Speaker
And they need that break. Their bodies need that break. And then we report back for playoff game, bowl game, whatever. Well, now we're in January. Right. And so once classes start back in January, we kind of start our winter schedule, which for Altamarea, we practice on Wednesday nights because that's our normal sectional night anyway. So it's perfect.
00:26:42
Speaker
And then we add Friday nights. So we're going Wednesday nights, Friday nights. And then until we have our first show, we'll go on Saturdays and Sundays until the first show.
00:26:52
Speaker
and then Sundays become, okay, do we need this Sunday? Or can we give them time off? Now, there have been years past where we've literally gone to the national championship game on Monday night and then come back and did our first show on Saturday. Yep.
00:27:10
Speaker
Those were some wild times. And so when we did that, we would many times send out choreography over video after staging and say, okay, if you're in this part, you need to learn this. If you're in this part, you need to learn this. And then when we got back on that Wednesday night, we're like, all right, let's see it.
00:27:30
Speaker
Let's go. it definitely takes a village and a lot of planning. Mm-hmm. sort Yeah. yeah But I will say the flip side, as a parent, I was shocked when Piper was like, yeah, I can come home on December the 10th. And then I don't go back until, don't know, it was like the 28th of December. And then we're going to the Rose Bowl for five days. And then we come back. And I was like, what?
00:27:58
Speaker
how How is this going to work? But it does. And I think part of it is that, The students are bought into the schedule and they understand what the standard is. They understand what the expectation is and they do their part.
00:28:15
Speaker
You're doing your part as a staff and they're doing their part as a student. and And, and it just works. It works. And so they don't want to let each other down. They don't want to let their staff down and they understand how unique their situation is. And so,
00:28:30
Speaker
Like they they just do what they're supposed to do. But they come back in January and they're rested because they got to see their families. The staff got to see their families because you're away from your families a lot, too.
00:28:43
Speaker
But they got to see their families. They got to come home for the holidays. They got to have a winter break. And then when they come back in January, they're ready to put the pedal to the metal and they're ready to go. Yes, I would agree. And they are so highly motivated.
00:28:56
Speaker
I love them so much. They are so highly motivated and they love each other. And and when we are up front with them, we're like, look, we have got to do this, this and this.
00:29:06
Speaker
They are there for it and they are ready. And that is that makes things go so much easier. It is awesome. Yeah, I think so, too. So how do you recruit for that program for Alabama?
University Support and Scholarship Benefits
00:29:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:29:21
Speaker
I didn't do the whole recruitment program because Piper was recruited by her brother, basically. And so how do you because there are a lot of I mean, we're out of state. And I was shocked to find out that there are so many out of state kids. I mean, there's a lot of Alabama kids, but there's a good portion that are also out of state.
00:29:40
Speaker
So how how do you think people find you? Do you find that people are finding you? Alabama is generous with those out-of-state scholarships, I'll tell you. They are. They are one of the most generous schools in the country for out-of-state scholarships.
00:29:53
Speaker
So do you find that people are finding you more through the WGI circuit? Are they finding you through SEC football? Is it a combination of both? are they finding you because the scholarships are so great at Alabama as far as merit goes? Yeah.
00:30:07
Speaker
I think it's a mixture, really, because when the football team really took off, when Saban came along, which Saban is the goat and always will be, when the football team took off, um the exposure for the University of Alabama just grew exponentially.
00:30:24
Speaker
And so I think just the exposure through football games. We have our summer camps and clinics. I think that is another thing. And then I do believe our exposure with Winter Guard and WGI has helped our program grow exponentially because, you know, we've had a lot of people come up to us at WGI not realizing that Altamaria was connected to the University of Alabama and then
00:30:55
Speaker
Of course, that's my door to so open and say, well, if you want the best of both worlds and you want a great fall program and a great winter guard program, this is where you need to be. right And you get such a great experience with the fall program and you get a great experience with winter. I mean, you couldn't ask for anything better. And our campus is beautiful.
00:31:17
Speaker
It is. So think it's really a combination of all the things that Just just with the growth of football and social media is another thing.
00:31:28
Speaker
TikTok and posts, you know, like in our winter court show this year, the wedge. If I saw the wedge once on TikTok, I saw it a million times, which was yeah awesome. Yeah, but I think all of those things kind of help with the recruiting part.
00:31:46
Speaker
And one thing, another thing I think is unique that may be commonplace to you, Brandy, is the university support of the Color Guard program. So I have two examples that come to mind. The first is we talked about the football team and that they're all over ESPN, but there was a football game. Altamarea is your 2024 silver medalist in independent open. And there was a football game that on the big screen, all over the stadium, they flashed a picture of the Winter Guard and it was like, congratulations, Altamarea, University of Alabama's color guard, like made a huge deal about it.
00:32:21
Speaker
There's thousands and thousands, I don't even know how many people Bryant-Denny seats, but the stadium was packed. And the university announced and made a special announcement about the Winter Guard. I thought that was really cool. I don't think you would get that at every university, even a small D3 school. I think you would be hard pressed to get an announcement about your Color Guard.
00:32:40
Speaker
And then the second thing is that there are athletic trainers there for the band um and the color guard. And so the first time that we went to see Avery when he was, this is long before Piper, we went to a marching band rehearsal and there are all these massage tables and you know all this stuff out. And we were like, what is happening? And some, I think she was a piccolo player, limps off the field and comes over and this myriad of like athletic trainers start taping her up and they're doing all the things. She's on the table, they've got the rollers.
00:33:11
Speaker
And so, and then we found out later, Avery was like, oh yeah, we have athletic trainers. They're here at every rehearsal and they travel with us and they take care of us. Well, that also happens for the winter guard. So we went to the Atlanta regional to see ah Piper this year. She backed herself in the head with her, the hilt of her saver.
00:33:29
Speaker
And so we came out to see her afterwards and And she's the athletic trainer is there with her, ah you know, and taking care of her and looking and, you know, make sure she didn't have a concussion, which she didn't, thank God.
00:33:41
Speaker
But, you know, just, you know, has the ice packs and the things. And I would give anything to have an athletic trainer with my Colorbird program. But I think that's something that's unique about Alabama.
00:33:57
Speaker
That is great because you have that university support to make sure that you have, you know, those things to keep your students healthy and well. And they're wrapping ankles and all the things. And their goal to me seems like to get the kids back in, not to have them sitting on the sideline, but to get them back in so that they can perform.
00:34:18
Speaker
That's the most important thing. It is definitely a blessing to have them, especially when we're throwing all the things with rifle and all the things with saber. And we have a lot of like little things with hands and feet that crop up or get hit in the head. So it is wonderful to have them there. And I can just be like, please take this person, help them.
00:34:41
Speaker
And, you know, I know that they're well taken care of. Fantastic. So you were talking earlier about like there's scholarships for the band program and things like that.
00:34:51
Speaker
With such a program as this, what can students expect to have to pay into this? Because, you know, we hear all the time about how expensive WGI is, how expensive it is to march and be in marching band. And what can students expect to pay if they want to be a part of your color guard or your winter guard?
00:35:11
Speaker
So if they are going to be in MDBCG, they have a lab fee that is rolled into their tuition. So when they make the team and it comes time to pay tuition and they're you know pay for their schedules and things like that, there's a lab fee associated with marching band. And so for the color guard, I think...
00:35:34
Speaker
I think it's around, and that covers their practice gear because they dress alike every day. So they have like five or six tops, five or six pairs of shorts. They get sweatshirts like I have on. They get their warm-ups, their Nikes, their pep rally, their palms, their rain jackets.
00:35:54
Speaker
Their jazz shoes, their earrings, their headbands. um Lord, I can't think of what else. They get a bunch of stuff. Their double bag, their backpack, their sling bag, you name it, they get it.
00:36:09
Speaker
And then the university covers like all of the equipment fees and our uniform fees. So like whatever we need for equipment, university is paying for that. So it belongs to the university. Same thing for our costumes that they wear for the fall, which are beautiful, by the way. They are stunning. And we get a new costume this year, which I'm really excited about.
00:36:33
Speaker
And then for Winter Guard, it really depends How many we have, like this year, and I think I'm correct, and Stephanie, you may know if I'm a lot with this.
00:36:45
Speaker
So we had 45 people in the fall guard. 39 of them chose to March winter guard this time. So we had a massive winter guard, which was awesome.
00:36:57
Speaker
but And so their fee to March winter guard was... That sounds right. think that's right. because The Winter Guard is considered a student organization. like the team, there's members of the team that's the president, the vice president, the secretary, the treasurer.
00:37:16
Speaker
And so they keep up with all of that part of it because they're a student organization. But their fee was $500. And we also get support from our friends of the Million Dollar Band, which is lot of parents and alumni that pay to be a part of a support for the marching band.
00:37:38
Speaker
And they have really started to support the Winter Guard, which has been fantastic. They've given us enough money to cover our floor the last couple of years and different things. And so their support has been amazing, which helps the girls not have to pay quite so much. So this year, the Winter Guard fee was $500.
00:38:00
Speaker
if i I think that's right. Yeah. So there's not another independent world group that you're marching for $500. I can, I mean, I can do that. yeah It's not happening.
00:38:11
Speaker
We could do it. And seriously, we've, yeah,
Alta Marea's Growth and Success
00:38:15
Speaker
it's wild. My high schoolers pay more than $500. I mean, so, so that support, talk about that university support and friends, a million dollar band is, is fantastic.
00:38:26
Speaker
All right. So let's switch gears. Let's go to Altamaria. So when you started it with Mr. Simpson in 2006, what did you think it was going to be? What was your vision for where you thought it was going to, where did you think it was going to go?
00:38:42
Speaker
Well, we really didn't know. what was going to happen with it. Because I think a lot of people, when they heard we were going to start a winter guard, they were like, what? University of Alabama is starting a winter guard.
00:38:54
Speaker
What is this? So and I really started it with the vision of improving fall guard and really helping with the recruiting for fall and really increasing their skill level so we could do more with the fall guard. Well, little did we know it was going to become a whole thing. And really both programs feed off of each other with the way we do it.
00:39:23
Speaker
Because all of the girls are in the fall guard, they're getting training there that helps winter. And then the winter training helps the fall. So it's become circular.
00:39:35
Speaker
um and I think that In the beginning, we really didn't realize that it was going do that for us, but it has, and it's been wonderful, and we've been blessed.
00:39:46
Speaker
Yeah. So, like I said, you just came out in the independent world for the first time, which was so exciting. What are you most proud of for this season? What are you going to take away when you think back on 2025? What do you think you're going to hold closest to your heart?
00:40:02
Speaker
Gosh, I think seeing the girls so excited when they came off the floor about what they were able to accomplish in Dayton. And, you know, making semifinals in our first year, having two amazing performances,
00:40:19
Speaker
I think the thing that I will remember the most is just knowing that the girls had an excellent attitude going into it because we knew that we were going to be faced with change and we knew we were going to be faced with challenges, but we were very upfront and we were like, okay, this is our plan. This is what we're going to do. and We're going to do the best we absolutely can.
00:40:44
Speaker
um, I think that those challenges really helped us grow. It helped us grow as a team. It helped them grow as individuals. It helped them grow as performers. And, my lights went out again!
00:41:05
Speaker
here. so specific But I think their growth and the way they bonded, gosh, you know, you have those teams that sometimes you just wish you could freeze in time and keep forever. And I think this was one of them for me because even though we were like just grinding it out,
00:41:26
Speaker
to be the best we possibly could. It was an amazing experience. Yeah, thank you too. right, Now it is time for one of our favorite segments of the show.
00:41:39
Speaker
It's called, What Are We Doing? So this is the part of the show where you- What are we doing? What we doing?
00:41:52
Speaker
What are we doing? So this is where we call out something in the marching arts that makes us go, why are we still doing this? Or why aren't we doing this yet? So Brandy, what are we doing?
00:42:05
Speaker
I think Stephanie is going to feel it when I say this one. But what are we doing by not having a better rain plan for the UD arena?
00:42:17
Speaker
Yes. Yes. Yes.
00:42:23
Speaker
Because good prelims. mean, Stephanie was, I had told Piper, I said, look, I think we're going to need some more hands because we do have a prop crew.
00:42:38
Speaker
They are amazing. They build all of our props. It's four of them. They're guys in the marching band and they are precious and they are incredible. Mm-hmm. But I knew we were going to need more hands. And thank God Stephanie was there. And when we came out of the warmup tent and it was monsooning, they had those props in there drying them down. it was crazy.
00:43:00
Speaker
We were like a Sid and Well commercial. You remember the ShamWow that was on? yeah We that one of the prop guys had, don't know where you even get them like this. There's probably 30 all like wrapped all together.
00:43:13
Speaker
We were literally wiping those props down and kids equipment and the equipment of the group before them as well. Like handing them towels. I mean, flow marching should have been back there. and Missed opportunity. If I had had my phone, I should have done it for on a water break. But people watch like...
00:43:29
Speaker
It was a true team effort. You know, we were wiping down the Alta Marea stuff, but also the equipment of the team before and the team after because people didn't have towels. You know, you're not thinking like it's going to, it was like a hurricane. We have hurricanes in Houston. It was hurricane rain.
00:43:47
Speaker
Yeah. does it and What are we doing? Does it ever not rain at WGI is my question? Because it was pouring both times I've been there. Now it snowed a couple of years ago. It did.
00:43:58
Speaker
Because we were getting props out from underneath us. This was before we started carrying a trailer and we had props underneath the bus and we were having to load in during our time. And snow is just getting it.
00:44:14
Speaker
And then as soon as it would fall, it was turning into water. we're trying to cover these props. It was chaos. So it does snow. Yeah.
00:44:26
Speaker
Yeah. It was. Great job, everyone. set your equipment down. Touch and go.
00:44:33
Speaker
All right, we are going wrap things up on high note. It is time for our gush and go. This is your moment to celebrate something that's bringing you joy, whether it's a student win, personal milestone, or just something that's lighting you
Future Excitement and Engagement
00:44:45
Speaker
up right now. So what do you want to gush and go on about, Brandy?
00:44:49
Speaker
have a couple of things. Number one, the World Guard, Alta Maria World was amazing. we were so proud. And you're already planning Maria 2026.
00:45:02
Speaker
On the way back. but The plans are in the works already. I've already been having the long conversations with Leon May, which I know he absolutely loves. The other thing I would say is our upcoming auditions. We have a record number of auditionees this year. We have 108 people auditioning the Million Dollar Bank Award. So we're excited about that.
00:45:24
Speaker
That's amazing. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. Hey, it's called gush and go, not gush and stay. Let's go.
00:45:37
Speaker
Brandy, thank you so much for joining us and for sharing your heart, your work, and your story with us. So where can people follow you or your groups to keep up with everything you're doing? Okay, so you can follow me on TikTok, the Blonde Bobshell. So I go live some from some of our events and post about our events.
00:45:55
Speaker
But you can also follow the Million Dollar Band Color Guard on our Facebook, our TikTok, our Instagram. And then Altamarea also has a Facebook, a TikTok, and an Instagram. So you can follow all of our journeys and craziness, many of those places.
00:46:12
Speaker
Okay.
00:46:15
Speaker
Anybody have a good question or a good topic to talk about, make sure you email us at theonawaterbreakpodcast at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
00:46:26
Speaker
We even have a form now fell out. So if you want to be a guest, we love having people on the podcast. Make sure you check that out at our link on bio on all of our social media. You could just take out your phone, make a video and send it to us. So maybe you'll see yourself on the podcast soon.
00:46:44
Speaker
Thank you, Stephanie, for hosting with me today. course. Thanks for having me. One more thing Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now, so go and subscribe so you can see all our lovely faces and all the other shenanigans that goes on Also, before you close out of your podcast listening app, make sure you subscribe, write us a review, and share this with a friend. Follow us on social media at On A Water Break, and we'll see you at the next rehearsal on A Water Break.
00:47:14
Speaker
The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Rehm. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com.
00:47:26
Speaker
And until next time, thanks for tuning