By By Adrienne McKenzie
The Escambia County High School band will be marching to a new beat this year as Dennis Reid takes over as band director.
Reid has already taken over band director duties with rookie band camp this week and next week the full band will endure the heat for band camp.
Reid accepted the position last week and his official starting date is Aug. 6, but he has already met several of his band members for this coming school year.
"I think they are great," Reid said about his band members. "A lot of the graduated seniors came in to help too."
Reid has spent a lot of time directing bands for different schools in Florida and Georgia. He worked in the Columbus, Ga., school system for 14 years. He taught both middle and high school band and chorus classes. He has also taught in Sandersville, Ga. and Montezuma, Ga. He taught a year at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Brentwood Middle School in Pensacola and Woodham High School in Pensacola.
Reid is originally from Atlanta although he graduated from high school in San Francisco. He has his master's degree from the University of Georgia and he spent 20 years in the United States Navy flying airplanes. He currently lives in Pace, Fla. with his wife, Sandy, but wishes he could move to Atmore.
"We still live in Pace," Reid said. "I would like to move here, but unfortunately we bought our house at the wrong time and can't sell."
Reid also has three children, all boys. Two live in Pensacola and his youngest is in Columbus, Ga.
Reid said he has enjoyed working with the ECHS band members and that Atmore residents have made him feel at home. He said he accepted the position for a different opportunity.
"I was looking for a new opportunity and this sounded interesting," he said. "So far it's been very pleasant. I am really pleased with the community and the facility here and everybody has been nice and helpful."
Reid hopes Atmore residents will keep on backing the ECHS band.
"I ask the community to continue to support the band by attendance and by donations if possible," Reid said. "We need a lot of new band equipment."