Band Room Buzz

Andrew LaPrade and Olivia Harrell

Band director of 17 years and senior student co-host dive into the world of music in the school and community. From the classroom, to the halls; from the heart, to the stage; comedy ensues and passion turns premier. The spotlight is on the guests, the musicians, the students, the teachers, the music, and you.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Music is Alive

    In this episode we catch up on one of the busiest 10 day stretches of the year in the band world, Olivia's final push to finish her college portfolio, and what both of those mean for school/life balance. As a follow up to last episode's hot take on the Pumpkin Spice Latte being overrated - we have a blind taste test. And finally, we had an amazing masterclass on free jazz and creativity with the Untethered Trio from Philadelphia, PA featuring Paul Giess, G. Calvin Weston, and Tim Ragsdale. They were so generous to allow us to talk to them as this week's guest about their beginnings, inspirations, music, and life in general. It was a highlight of the year to sit down and talk with this group, and we hope that you learn something and enjoy it as much as we did.  Check Out The Untethered Trio Here

    Music is Alive

  2. Oct 20

    Trains of Thought

    In this episode we discuss the fall concert, talk a little about classical music vs jazz music and the connection each makes with an audience (to be continued!), and talk about the upcoming busy end of October. Our special guest this week is AHS alumn Thomas Newton. Thomas graduated in the spring of 2026 and decided to take gap year to better figure out what he wants to do. We discuss this decision and the intentionality with which he is spending his time so that he can be better prepared for his future. Thomas is passionate about people and makes the most of any opportunity. He is on staff for our marching band this fall and we talk about lessons learned from being on the other side of public school and marching band. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Thomas!

    Trains of Thought

  3. Oct 5

    Always Stay Curious

    In this episode we catch up on a busy past two weeks, discuss the upcoming Fall Concert and diaper drive, and…it's Homecoming week! We also have a very special guest - Ivan Orr. Ivan is a Charlottesville based musician who composes music and performs in several local groups. In addition to performing music around Charlottesville, Ivan works at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center as a researcher at the Center for Local Knowledge. Prior to that, Ivan taught music production in Albemarle County Public Schools and also helped to found the Music Resource Center in downtown Charlottesville. In this episode Ivan talks about growing up learning music in Charlottesville, and discusses some of the history of Charlottesville's music scene and history that he has learned in his role at the Jefferson School. We hope that you are as inspired after this conversation as we were! Always stay curious.  Jefferon School African American Heritage Center Stepping Stone Ivan Orr Joins Jefferson School Ivan Orr Playing Live at WTJU

    Always Stay Curious

  4. Sep 21

    Lava Lamp Guitarist

    In this episode, our guest is Mr. Greg Thomas - former band director at Albemarle High School for 26 years. Greg taught at Walton Middle School, Albemarle High School, James Madison University, and at Charlottesville Day School. Hear from one of the best about lessons learned, the importance of music in a student's education, and some great stories over the years.  We'll also give you a glimpse into the first two weeks of September, what that means for students, and some things each class has been doing over the past few weeks. We also get into some discussion about goals as a student, and what it means to set a goal and work towards it. We hope you enjoy our conversation!

    Lava Lamp Guitarist

  5. Sep 6

    Rick Out of Water (Pilot)

    Welcome to the Band Room Buzz! In this first episode we introduce you to our hosts Andrew LaPrade and Olivia Harrell. We talk about the first few weeks of the 2026 school year including some glows and grows, how each class has started this year, some funny stories from the band room, (...including LaPrade falling off of his bike and a tornado warning during marching band practice), and talk about school/life balance with Olivia.  Our first interview guest is Rick Fu, a sophomore violinist at AHS, who was thrown into the world of the drumline. He talks about his unique experience learning the bass drum on the fly, jumping into the social world that is marching band, and discusses his experience at AHS.  We hope you enjoy our first episode.

    Rick Out of Water (Pilot)
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Band director of 17 years and senior student co-host dive into the world of music in the school and community. From the classroom, to the halls; from the heart, to the stage; comedy ensues and passion turns premier. The spotlight is on the guests, the musicians, the students, the teachers, the music, and you.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew LaPrade and Olivia Harrell
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Band Room Buzz