Life

WHHS band to premiere tribute to 'Grandma' Clayton

By Bill Moss, Published: May 14, 2014

The West Henderson School High Band will premiere a piece Thursday night that is a tribute to a devoted booster the young musicians knew as "Grandma."

Carol Clayton, the grandmother of one of the band students, passed away this spring. "Grandma" Clayton not only traveled with the band to every performance but also drove the bus. She had been a public school bus driver for many years and also a kindergarten teacher at Avery's Creek Elementary, the county school system said in a news release.

The West High band members wanted to commemorate Grandma Clayton with a piece of music. Jarrett Goodchild, a West Henderson Band alumnus with a Masters degree in Composition and Conducting, was commissioned to write a piece.
Goodchild was honored to accept the offer. He visited the West Henderson band students to find out more about Grandma. After hearing their stories and seeing the wonderful energy she had left with all of them, he had a clear idea of the piece he would write.
The piece begins with a driving rhythmic motif, representative of Grandma's positive persistence. The first theme is melancholy, yet hopeful. After exploring darker sounds, representative of the grieving process and the sadness of loss, the piece returns to an uplifting fervor, a tribute to the indelible mark she left upon everyone. The composer will conduct the premier of his work.
The band will perform the piece at its spring concert at 7 p.m. Thursday. The concert is free.