MARRERO, La. — The John Ehret "Pride of Marrero" Marching Band is quickly becoming a crowd favorite on the parade route. If you've been keeping up with them, you know these days they look and sound a bit different.
"We've gone from 13 to 70, or 80," said Band Director Marvin Haywood. "It's P.R.I.D.E. Passion, respect, integrity, determination and being extraordinary."
Those are the principles band director Marvin Haywood instills in his growing team of musicians and that's in just three years. With a handful of kids coming from Helen Cox after their school closed, Haywood says making everyone feel at home is a part of his secret formula.
"We have to make sure that we know how to welcome people properly and make them actually feel at home and to have a chance to grow and develop to become a leader or do you still love me by the time that they leave."
It's a long-running theme band members like Shelya Perez said makes her feel at home. So much so, she recruited her brother to join the band.
"I actually recruited my brother into it so yeah it's really nice! It's like family literally and metaphorically," Perez explained. "I think it's very important because not a lot of people have this type of privilege of just having something to put that energy into. I'd rather be here than just be sitting at home or doing something else that I shouldn't be doing."
That sense of belonging is something felt all through every section in the band.
"It feels outstanding. Our band has grown so much over the four years that I have been at John Ehret High School," said baton majorette Alysia Treece. "The love and the support that is on this team is amazing I can't even describe it."
"We look after each other and we have that sense of pride and Mr. Haywood talked about," said Perez.
The band has grown so fast, there are not enough uniforms for all the students. While they continue to host fundraisers to hopefully get enough uniforms for next school year, band members say they are not holding back this year, and look forward to proving why they are the "Pride of Marrero."
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