Young performs single-handedly

Talk about a tough break.
A day before Marsh Band Day at the Indiana State Fair, fifth-year percussion player Wiley Young was getting fitted for a cast on his left wrist.
But despite being down a hand, Young wasn’t going to give up his last show as a Marching Patriot.
With a purple cast and the sleeve of his marching band jacket tucked into his belt, Young pounded out what he could of his mallet section with his one good arm.
 “A lot of my parts, I have to do runs and 16ths and I had to change a lot of those,” Young said. “I’m actually trying to do my actual part. … Everything that I would be doing with two hands … I’m doing with one.”
Young said it was Thursday at noon when he wiped out while riding a skateboard and tried to brace himself with his hand as he fell. While he was hoping to be able to get by with a splint and tough it out on band day, he couldn’t avoid the inevitable cast for the broken wrist.
“He was really emotionally torn up,” said JCHS band director Kelly Smeltzer. “He literally showed up an hour after the accident and had his arm wrapped up. … But he said at all costs he’s going to try to perform today.”
“Hats off to him for doing it,” added percussion director Mitch Snyder. “He’s making it work. He’s going to be missing some parts here and there; there’s obviously things you can’t play with just one hand.
“But him showing up and putting forth the effort to even try it one-handed and be part of the group, he took it pretty emotionally that he wasn’t going to be able to do it, period. But that’s just your story of perseverance.”
Friday’s band day was Young’s last under the “super senior” provision that allows graduates to perform for one more marching-band season. The Marching Patriots captured three fifth-place finishes and one sixth place in his first four years.
This fifth year came with a change for Young, who took on the percussion pit role after a career in the drum line.
“It’s just exceptional. He’s one of the picture-perfect students I know of, especially coming back as a post-grad,” Snyder said. “For him to pick up a mallet part is a huge departure for him, but he stepped up to the challenge and he’s playing a pretty key role.”
“He’s still going to play what he can play,” Smeltzer added of Young. “Really dedicated person. I’m glad to have him as a fifth-year student.”
Broken wrist or no, Young didn’t take any expectations going into the performance, but said the final performance at the state fair grand stand will be bittersweet.
“(I’m) kind of excited,” he said. “It’s my last year, but of course I’ll miss it. I always enjoy coming down here. It’s a big day we always want to see what we’re going to get.”

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