DATE: Friday, October 31, 1997              TAG: 9710290111

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: THUMBS UP! 

SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

HICKORY HIGH BAND DIRECTOR QUICKLY HONED A WINNING UNIT

DAVID D. ENLOE claims 115 children, and he's proud of each and everyone.

``I work with their problems, encourage their improvement and celebrate their successes,'' said Enloe, 36, who spends more than 50 hours a week with his brood. ``I'm their trainer, psychologist and friend. I push them hard, and I compliment them on a job well done.''

Enloe, the band director at Hickory High School, does not have any biological children. But he is as proud as any parent of his 69 horns, 14 percussions, two drum majors and 30 color guards who make up the Hickory High School marching band.

The marching band members are volunteers from the symphonic and concert bands, and they practice after school and on weekends. Of 180 band members, 115 signed on for the marching band.

And in only the second year of the new Hickory High School, the Marching Hawks were recently named the grand champions of the 25th annual Tidewater Festival of Marching Bands.

Although Enloe prizes the championship trophy, he seems proudest of passing along his skills and interest to the teen-agers who play for Friday night football games and spend most Saturdays in drills or competitions.

About 20 bands from Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland met for the festival tournament at Indian River High School where the Hawks showed off their Arabian Nights routine. As they marched and strutted, they played selections from Aladdin and the Second Movement from Scheherazade, the Saber Dance, the Arab Dance from the Nutcracker and Sampson and Delilah.

When the scores were announced, the Hawks took first place in the drum major, marching, percussion, color guard, music and general effects categories. They also received the highest score in the AAA division.

Enloe said in teaching he just tries to relate to the kids and to share his appreciation of music. But his students and staff have other ideas.

``Our real goal is always just to do the best we can,'' said Shawn-Patrick Hickey, a drum major. ``Mr. Enloe pushes hard work, and he does not accept excuses. He's extremely intense, but we know it's because he loves it so much. And he does not preach win; he preaches success in ourselves. And if we win, that's a bonus.''

``He always wants us to be good and to reach our potential and to have fun, too,'' added Megan King, a clarinet player and future music major.

``I would like to incorporate his consistency and excitement into my style of teaching,'' said Jennifer Turner, a student teacher from Old Dominion University. ``He never seems to lose the joy of his craft even during long sessions of hard work.''

Enloe said his choice of careers was probably pre-destined because his father was a band director and his mother was a music teacher during his childhood in Atlanta. In high school, he played the French horn, and he was a music major at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

He also performed with several drum and bugle corps, which competed nationally and internationally. His team, the Blue Devils of Concord, Calif., were world champions when he was 21-years old. In 1991 and 1992, the Southwind Bugle Corps from Montgomery, Ala., were also world champions. But this time, Enloe was the instructor.

After graduation, Enloe taught band for several years in Georgia and later, Northern Virginia. In 1994 when he did not get an expected position in Georgia, Enloe and his wife, Shannon, flew to Washington, D.C., to regroup. And on a drive to the Outer Banks, he saw a sign advertising the future home of Hickory High School. After his application and interviews, Enloe was awarded the task of combining students from four area schools into one band.

``Last year was a period of adjustment as we blended talent, developed trust and took on our own flavor,'' Enloe said.

Next up is Saturday's battle of 46 bands in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. The Chesapeake Christmas Parade and a spring trip to Florida to perform at one of the Disney parks is also on their calendar. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS

David Enloe pooled talent from four city schools into one band. And

in only their second year, the Marching Hawks were recently named

the grand champions of the 25th annual Tidewater Festival of

Marching Bands.

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