ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — It’s a program that budget cuts could not kill. And today, the Central Baldwin Middle School Band is bigger than ever. CBMS Band Director Ashley Brannan says that as of now her band is about 200 students strong.

“That’s the biggest band in the county,” she said.

It’s having an effect in the area — Brannan smiles when she says that her students have earned many of the seats in the award-winning Robertsdale High band.

Of course, this year’s crop of musicians is not too bad either.

“Twenty-nine students (from CBMS) were selected for the Southeast United States Honor Band,” said Brannan.

The selected students went to Troy University a few weeks ago and had a great time learning with student from though out the Southeast.

“That is more than any other school in the Southeast,” said Brannan. “I am real proud of them.”

But wait, there’s more — Twenty-nine other students have been named to the first Auburn University Honor Band. They will be meeting other band students at Auburn during the first weekend of February 2010.

“We (CBMS) have the most in the state at Auburn,” said Brannan happily.

This is Brannan’s fourth year of teaching at CBMS, She began teaching in Baldwin County, “Helping beginners at Rosinton and Loxley.”

Brannan says the students rehearse during school for one period, and any advancement or extra practice they do is up to them.

“They work on their own drive,” said Brannan.

Brannan is quick to credit “the support and community that supports the band” at CBMS.

“It gives everyone an opportunity to be proud of the students,” said Brannan.

While being interviewed, after school a beginning French horn student was getting a lesson from a more advanced student. While there were errors in the rehearsal, Brannan just grinned and said, “That’s how you learn music.”

Brannan decided to become a music teacher while in Lakeland, Fla.

“I was able to do a lot of things,” Brannan explained. One of them was being the drum major for her high school band.

“I was helping (two students) who just could not get their music right,” explained Brannan. “Finally, they got it. The light bulb just came on. I was sold. That’s what makes the time and effort well worth it,”

In addition to her duties at CBMS. Brannan assists her husband, Time at Gulf Shores. She helps with individual rehearsals and the flag team.

While it is a lot of work and a lot of hours doing paperwork and organizing fundraisers behind the scenes, the best part of her hectic schedule is “Waking up each morning knowing I get to come to school and make a difference in a child’s life.”