Banding Together

by Laura Breen Galante

Under the Friday night lights at Darvin Boothe Stadium at Lake Brantley High School, there’s a Marching Patriot who has a smile as bright as those field lights.

She’s Maddie Hendricks, the first person with Down syndrome to ever participate in the Lake Brantley band. Maddie is a percussionist who plays cymbals in the drum line. During the halftime show, she also plays mallet instruments in the front ensemble, which is known as the pit.

A 17-year-old rising sophomore, Maddie is an ESE (Exceptional Student Education) pupil. Maddie began her musical journey at Rock Lake Middle, where she was warmly welcomed by the school’s band director. She’s also carrying on her family’s involvement in band, most notably in percussion. 

A Family Tradition

Maddie’s mom, Kristin, remembers watching Lake Brantley’s band students march in their homecoming parade when she was a student at Forest City Elementary. She was enamored with what she saw and joined the Lake Brantley Marching Patriots drum line in high school. Kristin’s stepfather (Maddie’s grandpa) was also part of Lake Brantley’s drum line during his high-school days. 

This fall, Maddie’s younger sister Presley will join her at Lake Brantley, where the rising freshman will play the bass drum – the same instrument the girls’ mom and grandfather played. Little sister Hazel, the youngest member of the Hendricks family, has also shown interest in playing drums. She is a student at Wekiva Elementary, where the girls’ father, Chad, teaches physical education.

When Chad and Kristin were trying to decide where to send Maddie for high school, band programs were a major consideration. Because of Maddie’s ESE status, the Lake Mary family is able to choose the school she attends. When she was researching schools, Kristin reached out to Lake Brantley’s new band director, Marques Rudd, to discuss Maddie’s situation.

In addition to having Down syndrome, Maddie is hearing-impaired and has mild cerebral palsy. She wears hearing aids, and longer walks can be tiring for her. But with some assistance, she participates in all band events, attending every practice, game, and early morning drum circle.

“Maddie has three disabilities,” says Chad. “I have no disabilities, but I can’t read music. She reads music like a champ.”

A Perfect Fit

Says Kristin, “I wasn’t expecting Marques to fully understand, and I wasn’t positive it was going to work. But when he said to me, ‘I’d be honored to have her,’ I knew Lake Brantley was where she needed to be.”

Adds Chad, “It wasn’t just about her being put in the band. It was about her being included, about the other kids around her being inclusive, and building friendships.”

On game nights, the students march from the band room to the field, which at first was a long walk for Maddie. Kristin marched alongside Maddie to keep her up to pace, and by the end of the marching season, Maddie was making the walk without having to rest. Kristin also helps modify her sheet music and uses an FM (frequency modulation) system that’s linked to Maddie’s hearing aids to give her musical cues and commands when she’s playing in the band’s shows.

Maddie absolutely loves being in the band. She’s always thrilled to wear the red, white, and blue Marching Patriots uniform – which was tailored to fit her – complete with the tricorn hat that the band members have been wearing for 50-plus years.

“I really like the friends I’ve made,” says Maddie, who is excited to begin her second season with the band.

The Hendricks family is grateful to Marques, assistant band director Thomas Larger, and the school’s administration for welcoming Maddie and being open to ideas and accommodations to facilitate her learning. 

Maddie has also been warmly embraced by her fellow students at Lake Brantley, attending classes all day with an aide and fully participating in the band’s activities. She marched alongside her fellow Patriots in the Seminole County Marching Band Festival as well as in the band’s MPA (Music Performance Assessment), a judged competition. 

Kristin had talked to Marques about having Maddie support her bandmates from the sidelines during the MPA, but he insisted that Maddie join in. She also performed a solo at the band’s spring percussion concert, which was met with enthusiastic applause from her bandmates.

“Maddie is an incredible student, musician, and an even better human being,” says Marques.

“Put simply, music is for everyone, regardless of your background or circumstance, and Maddie is an exceptional demonstration of that,” he adds. “As an educator, Maddie reminds me through her own hard work and dedication to celebrate all achievements of our students within the Lake Brantley band program. Her perseverance translates to her peers, fellow bandmates, and myself, as she always demonstrates her love and passion for this organization. My hope is that through Maddie, people will begin to welcome others with open arms.”

The kindness and support that Marques showed Maddie during her freshman year didn’t go unnoticed. He was named this year’s Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida’s Inclusion Champion of the Year. Maddie nominated him for being patient, encouraging, and dedicated. 

“All I really wanted was for Maddie to be included, to feel a part of the band,” says Kristin. “But she’s actually doing it, learning the music and playing. All these people [at Lake Brantley] have helped make that happen. We couldn’t ask for more.”