A biting wind does not deter a group of junior cadets as they practise drilling and marching on an open field in Eastridge.
The practise is one of only a few that the team have had over the last few months. Rainy weather and gang violence has disrupted their training multiple times while they prepared for the National Marching and Drilling Competition which is taking place this weekend.
Squad founder Brandon Petersen said they needed to keep their eyes and ears peeled ahead of practises due to the volatility in the area but thankfully none of the sessions have needed to be cancelled midway due to gang violence. Petersen said this is mostly due to vigilance.
“A week ago they killed two people here,” he said. “We need to be vigilant, with our eyes wide open, in case there’s shooting or fighting. Then we have to get the children off the field.”
Petersen, a neighbourhood watch member, started the Eastridge Marching Band (EMB) in 2009 with the aim of giving the “youth at risk” in the community an alternative to “a life of drugs and crime”.
In 2007 he was part of the neighbourhood watch team that assisted at the competition and he saw first hand the positive results.
“I could see it’s something good, and we could implement it here where we live,” Petersen said.
Since then the roughly 20-member squad have been going strong and have won several trophies. Members have also grown up in the band and continued in support roles by assisting with admin or fund-raising.
Back to their roots
“Years back when we started competing, we won trophies both at the Mitchell’s Plain police competition and at the Western Province competition, as those years we competed in both, but for about 10 years we weren’t in any drill competition as we concentrated mostly on the brass band. Last year we decided to go back to our roots and get a team ready for the competition this year,” Petersen said.
The squad that will be competing on Saturday are new and untested but eager.
Mishka Charles joined the squad “to be off the road”. The 10-year-old said drilling and marching had taught her discipline.
Fagmeeda Erasmus (11) joined the squad because she wanted to compete.
“I want to win in the competition,” she declared.
While the area is quiet, Petersen practises with the squad daily for two hours in the late afternoon. The only squad member with competition experience is Petersen’s daughter Shireen, who is playing the alto saxophone but has been helping out with the drums at practises.
A few weeks ago the team were also sponsored with jackets and caps by an anonymous donor.
Cornelia Louw, the local organising committee chair for the upcoming competition, said EMB are one of seven community bands taking part.
The others include teams from Delft, Ocean View and Uitsig. The competition takes place at the Jan Burger Sports Complex in Parow this Saturday (18 October). Entry is free. Gates open at 07:30.
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