The Alabama University Band also known as the ‘Million Dollar Band’ practiced on Sunday January 6th, 2019, at Lincoln High School’s football field. The Alabama Band was there for the 2019 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship against Clemson University. The Clemson Tigers eventually won the championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Woodwind instruments were not able to be used during the practice due to the heavy rain. One thing to note is that Lincoln’s students were the ones who were holding up the flag during the national anthem. Some important members of the Lincoln community who attended the band practice were: Matthew Hewitson and Mike Gomez. 

A member of Lincoln Lion Tales went to interview Mr. Hewitson in regards to the Alabama band practice that was hosted by Lincoln. When asked on what he thought about the event, he said, ” It was a great opportunity for the school, and they sounded awesome, and I thought it was a great opportunity for our Lincoln Band members to see what it’s like in a big-time college marching band.” Hewitson also said that the segment that he liked the most was the one revolving around Aretha Franklin, he said, “There were some great Aretha Franklin songs that they did, and I saw them both practice here and at Levi’s.” Overall, it seemed as if Mr. Hewitson really enjoyed himself during the band’s practice.

Another member of the Lincoln community who was present at the event was, Mike Gomez,  Lincoln’s Band Director. When asked how he personally felt about the event, coming from the point of view of someone who also teaches band, he said, “I thought it was very exciting and it was wonderful to have a top-tier band performing on our fields, so that myself and the students and the community could see what a top college band can do.” Mr. Gomez also told us that he was very surprised to see the sheer size of the band as a whole, he said, “I didn’t realize how big they actually were, they took up the entire field and I wasn’t expecting that.”