Meadow Bridge Regional School Band prepares to take on football season and more, against all odds

MEADOW BRIDGE, WV (WVNS) – Friday night football games wouldn’t be the same without some music.

Bands set the tone for teams on both sides of the field, whether it be goal line stands or huge third down conversions.  One local school has a large band but a very small classroom.

Dr. Travis Riddle, the band director at Meadow Bridge Regional School, said he teaches 104 students in a school that has around 200 students.

Despite his growing band that consists of around half the school’s student population, they are holding classes in a room that cannot accommodate all his band members.

“This [classroom] used to be our old stage, which was used for graduation and also – the coaches room for volleyball. We were in a building which was torn down and then a couple years ago, put into the middle school boy’s locker room. [When] when we grew past that, they put us in here. Which this [classroom] will eventually be used as a custodial closet,” said Dr. Riddle.

To get more space, they can go out to the football field to practice, and they also share the gym with the physical education classes.

Due to the high volume of kids in the band, Dr. Riddle is also staggering out his classes, so that he can accommodate the available space in the classroom.

“It is a big challenge and organization is key and I have got some really great student leaders that help with uniforms, with instruments, and I couldn’t make it without them, to be honest. We have got some dedicated people and that’s why this program has grown. I left here, I was here from 2005 to 2011. Came back in 2018 and we had four kids and it has really caught on [since],” said Dr. Riddle.

Dr. Riddle is hopeful that their new classroom in their Phase 2 building will be open as early as January 2025 to accommodate his classes.

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