Meet your neighbors: Carson Bruce and Katie Wills
Published 8:00 am Monday, May 26, 2014
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Carson Bruce
When asked to identify the most pressing problem facing young people today, Carson Bruce seemed unsure.
“There are so many,” the junior at Pell City High School said finally. “This sounds cliché, but one has to be the pressure of fitting in. Parents getting divorces has to be among the top ones. And this could be the case with every generation, but having too much access to things we shouldn’t have access to.”
Active in school activities, most notably the Marching Band of Gold, Bruce identified his favorite academic subject, discussed his musical influences, and explained why spirituality is important to him.
At PCHS: Bruce is a member of the Beta Club, SGA, jazz and marching bands, and First Priority. He also serves as secretary of the FBLA.
In the band: Bruce joined as a seventh grader, playing piano in the jazz band and alto saxophone in the marching and concert bands. He and fellow junior Katie Willis have been selected to serve as drum majors during the 2014 marching season.
About drum major: “It’s more than just standing and waving your arms around. The drum major is like the daddy of the band. He gets everyone together, knows everyone’s position, and works closely with the band director. Otherwise, he’ll have serious problems.”
His favorite instrument: “Piano. You can have multiple notes going on at the same time and play different rhythms with different fingers at the same time.”
His favorite style of music to play: “Jazz. Then Southern gospel. But I really like jazz. It’s exciting, a unique combination of sounds for one spectacular outcome.”
Musicians he admires: “Louis Armstrong is an example of classic jazz. Anthony Burger was a great Southern gospel pianist with the Gaither Vocal Band before he passed away of a heart attack a few years ago. But my number-one inspiration for everything is Keith Green.”
What about Keith Green was so inspiring? “His uncompromising lifestyle to live for Jesus. He was an extremely talented musician and songwriter who got saved when he was 18 or 19. Before that, he was a druggie, playing in bars in Hollywood. The life he led after he got saved is absolutely amazing. His songs are so powerful, and I love the message behind them. Sadly, he was killed in a plane crash in Texas in 1982, but he lives on as an example of getting back to the basics of Christianity and living a holy life.”
Why should teenagers be concerned with living holy lives? “There are so many pressures on us, if we haven’t made up our mind to live fully for Jesus, we’ll fall for anything the devil has for us. And we can influence so many other people.”
His favorite subject: “Math, especially algebra. You always have a solid answer to every equation. There’s one standard of what’s right. I love figuring things out and solving problems.”
His parents: Ronnie and Trina Bruce.
After high school: “As of right now, I want to attend Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and major in music business. Or maybe church music. Something with music.
Katie Wills
Katie Wills still remembers the first time she was on stage in front of an audience.
“It was at Coosa Valley Elementary School,” she recalled recently. “I was in fourth grade, and I was one of the orphans in ‘Annie.’”
Since then, she’s grown into such roles as an iconic fairy tale princess, a singing fish, and military nurse as a member of Pell City High School’s theater program. The junior named several musicals in which she’s had a part, identified the role she’d most like to play, and explained why she enjoys theater.
Why she enjoys theater: “I get to be someone else. I get to be part of a world in which singing and dancing regularly are acceptable. And our theater family here is a joy to be around. Theater has given me an outlet for my creative energy, and I’ve learned how to handle criticism, because that’s something you get a lot from audiences and at competitions.”
Characters she’s portrayed: Cinderella in ‘Into the Woods,’ Ensign Dinah Murphy in ‘South Pacific,’ and Flounder in ‘The Little Mermaid.’ “Flounder was probably the most fun. Even though the character is a boy, it’s the character that is closest to my personality. Flounder is bubbly and silly, and it’s easy for me to portray that on stage. Plus, I got to dance a lot, and I got to be yellow. My costume was yellow, and I wore blue glitter. I couldn’t eat anything backstage without getting glitter in it.”
The role she’d most like to attempt: “Anita in ‘West Side Story.’ I could never play it, but I love that character. She’s fun. Or maybe Éponine in Les Misérables. She has pretty songs.”
Interacting with the audience: “As a cast, we love it when the audience laughs in all the right places. We’re trying to entertain them, so we love it when they respond. When we bow at the end, we’re thanking the audience. Good audiences make for good theater.”
At PCHS: Wills serves as president of the Debate Team, second vice president of the SGA’s executive board, and member of the Beta Club, marching band, Thespian Society, Drama Club, and First Priority. She and fellow junior Carson Bruce have been selected to serve as drum majors for the Marching Band of Gold during the 2014 marching season. Wills is also active with Eden Westside Baptist Church’s youth group.
The drum major’s responsibility: “Serving the band the best way they can and setting an example behaviorally. Conducting and leading the band is important, but serving is more important than that.”
How she describes herself: “That’s hard to do without sounding prideful. I’d say I’m joyful and encouraging.”
Her favorite subject: “English. It’s easy for me, and I enjoy writing.”
Her parents: Alison and Jeff Wills.
After high school: “I want to do theater in college, and when I grow up, I’d like to be involved in community theater to some extent.”
