Marching.com News Briefs provide news and information on topics related to marching bands and pageantry arts.

Share this page:



View more articles

Suggest a news item

Popular articles

2017 Inaugural Parade Lineup

Opinion: Don't let fake news harm the marching activity

Jennifer Garner talks marching band technique with Seth Meyers

Santa Clara Vanguard to march in 2017 Rose Parade

25 Halloween-worthy costumes from the marching arts

Marching to the chapel: University band members perform in halftime show before their wedding

"Go Band!" Facebook post about team aspect of marching band goes viral

Watch the Ohio State University Marching Band's London performance

Ohio State University Marching Band at NFL game in London

2017 Rose Parade marching band selections emerging

DCI corps auditioning for 2016 season

Ice Age's "Scrat" to debut as balloon in 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

2015 BOA St. Louis Super Regional draws marching bands from 15 states

Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards to host KTLA Rose Parade coverage for final time

National Association of Music Parents (AMP)

Bands of America Honor Band

BOA Champion to get Rose Parade Invitation

The Horn Section Sculpture

U.S. postage stamp features marching band

Father of Patrick Henry Hughes recognized for extraordinary support

Portland Rose Festival named "best festival"

The Dynamic Marching Band Manual

Marching Band Health Tips

Courtney Brandt delivers first book in teen fiction series

LOS ANGELES, CA - Author and self-proclaimed "band geek" Courtney Brandt believes there is no fictional voice to represent high school band students.

With the release of The Line, Brandt is hoping to change that.

"Every high school in the country has a marching band, so why isn't there a series about them?" she said, acknowledging that the "band geek" demographic is "definitely worth paying attention to."

The Line is the first in a young-adult novel series Brandt hopes will shed more light on the common but all too often neglected sector of teenage life.

Brandt's debut work centers around the misadventures of Lucy Karate, the only female percussionist on the Forrest Hills High School marching band. Karate faces challenges balancing band life with the boys, friends and small talk of "normal" high school girls.

While The Line is intended for teenage females, Brandt believes it can appeal to any current or former high school marcher.

Citing "confidence in my audience", Brandt decided to publish the novel herself and has held several book signings to promote its release. Brandt has committed to give a percentage of the book's sales to charity, including the Interlochen Center for the Arts. For book purchases in spring 2008, Brandt has pledged to donate $1 per book toward a DCI member who needs a little extra support for the summer.

Brandt is also optimistic of finding a production company for a possible adaptation to the screen.

Brandt, 26, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001. She now lives with her husband in Los Angeles, where she works as a tour director and executive assistant at Warner Brothers.

The Line is available in paperback (172 pages). For more information about the author and the book, visit TheLineBook.com.


Photo courtesy of the author.

Copyright 2008 Marching.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published or redistributed without permission.

Recent Headlines: 2018 Tournament of Roses Bandfest Photos | Prep Your Body for Marching Season | Marching Band Music Arrangers | Marching.com on Facebook | Marching.com on Twitter | Marching.com on Pinterest