(Tom) This week on Arizona Illustrated, marching towards success at Catalina Foothills High School.

(Renee) The thing that keeps me involved and drives me to continue working is the students.

(Tom) Something cool is happening at Prince Elementary School.

(Kevin) Areas that don't have trees correspond to areas that are hotter than the rest of Tucson.

They also correspond to low-equity areas.

(Tom) The art, reflection, and ritual of Erin Cox.

(Erin) There's no real theme.

They're almost like little shrines.

It pays homage to my family.

(Tom) and exploring the psychedelic desert with artist William Lesh.

(Mary) One of the great things that he found with digital technology was his painting that he also loved to do could come back into play.

(Tom) Hello and welcome to Arizona Illustrated.

I'm Tom McNamara.

First up, since 1992, when she had only 17 students, Renee Shane-Boyd has led the Catalina Foothills Falcon Band to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Rose Bowl appearances, and countless awards.

And with help from a school district that supports the arts, well, they've grown to become the largest marching band in the state.

(Annoncer) Are the judges ready?

Drum majors Bryan Zhang, Shelby Giachetti, Dominic Bell and Sara Nielsen is your band ready?

AZMBA is proud to present the Catalina Foothills High School Marching Band!

♪ MARCHING BAND MUSIC Doing anything with a group of people and striving to do it well and understanding the responsibilities that you have as a member of that type of ensemble, whether it's a band or an orchestra or a choir, it's um that's what is transformational for you and learning to literally put your best foot forward and make it better for others while you're making it better for yourself.

And right now I'm having to deal with people who can't stand at stand-by.

Would you like me to just work on behavior or would you like our show to get better?

Then you need to do your job.

This year, Ms. Shane's yelled at me a lot more, but I thought it would be scary when she yelled at me, but after every rehearsal she tells me it's not because she's mad at me, it's just because that's how she explains things.

I'm like, it's a little less scary now.

(Renee) A point of honor with me is that I can always keep up with the high school students.

They usually wear down before I do.

Um and if I say, "Get moving, or I'm going to chase you around the field," I mostly still can do that.

When I first came to the district in 1983, there were two elementary schools and a junior high in the district.

By 1992, we had our first freshman class and we were on the campus of Esperero Canyon Middle School.

And we had 17 students in our first group.

Some of those kids and ones right in the classes after them, their children are in the program here now.

♪ XYLOPHONES DING ♪ PERCUSSION RUMBLES (Renee) We have three things that we call non-negotiable.

We say that we'll work respectfully, we'll work positively, and we'll work efficiently.

So, for instance, we always have a plan for the week, for the month, for the season, for the year.

We always say, rain or shine, it's till nine, so if we get rained out like we do in marching season we don't stay out there if there's lightning.

We do come in, but we continue working because we have-there's both music and and visual goals we can work on.

(Interviewer) Has marching band changed your life?

Um yeah I think so, there's been a ton of cool experiences I've been able to have.

It's just a group of people who all have the same goal and are willing to work hard to make that goal happen.

And it's a really positive community.

We've built a culture that's lasted for decades that it's just a positive space for people.

♪ UPBEAT HORNS PLAY (Renee) The thing that keeps me involved and drives me to uh continue working is the students.

They are very motivational.

I learn things from them.

I taught junior high and middle school for ten years, and I loved them.

They had a lot of energy.

What's really gratifying about high school is they still have that same amount of energy.

It's just organized a little differently.

And but it's really fun over four years to watch them become adults and develop their decision-making process and their maturity.

And oftentimes when I'm working outside the school or I'm volunteering and we're looking for a staff I-I think back about my students and I think "Oh wow, that person could do this job because you see the skills they develop through this."

- (Matthew) Alright, inner circle, you're gonna do the same thing.

It's just up, up, breathe, breathe, play.

Can we do that?

(Matthew) I am a Foothills alumni.

I graduated in '21 And I am a brass and marching instructor here.

Alright, everyone, all together!

I think it's very important that I came back to the band and gave back something that gave so much to me.

When I first started in the band, I was really intimidated because I played oboe and I didn't really have an instrument for a marching band.

But I switched to mellophone and I learned a brand new instrument and the biggest take away from that, was that it was just so welcoming and I felt like everyone just, everyone wanted to get better and everyone wanted to see me get better at my instrument.

Because you're playing moving lines, because of the range of the instrument you guys are playing, the lines will stick out.

You have to support it, but you can't overpower all the sound with the with what you guys are doing, okay?

(Nathan) The seniors that I saw graduate were pretty good section leaders and I wanted to fill that role.

So I just stepped up to it and tried out and made it.

I think being a section leader is kind of like being like a parent sort of and it's kind of a cool thing to see like all your friends and stuff supporting you and being part of one huge project.

♪ LONE TRUMPET PLAYS ♪ ♪ SWEEPING TRUMPET WITH CHIMES PLAY ♪ I treat it as like as a second family.

It's definitely a huge part of my life.

It's really fun to see like the band go to unexpected places.

Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to minor in music too, in college, along with my engineering major.

♪ TRUMPET FADES [ APPLAUSE ] (Ian) Throughout the season, the goal is always what can we improve upon this week and how much better can we get this week.

So we've gotten some really good feedback from judges the last few weeks of our competitions on just how we can refine the show that much more.

(Renee) U of A Band Day is one of the band festivals that we participate in during the year.

It's the biggest band festival that we participate in.

It's held at the University of Arizona This year there are 47 bands.

(Eric) I'm really excited.

This show is really fun to like both march and play through.

like both march and play through.

I think we have a really good chance of like performing really high this year.

(Renee) It's always fun to go into Arizona Stadium for Band Day and as the band comes on the field, the drumline captain clicks.

And the echo you get throughout the stadium is always very inspiring and looking at the audience.

And I think we've learned to enjoy the moment and not be as nervous about it anymore.

♪ DRAMATIC BAND MUSIC STARTS ♪ The most gratifying thing isn't when they The most gratifying thing isn't when they announce, "You've won first place," or, "You've won a superior," "You've won an excellent."

or, "You've won a superior," "You've won an excellent."

Those usually kind of feel relief, you know, because you know that motivates the kids.

(Announcer) First place score with a total of 86.413 is Catalina Foothills High School.

[ CROWD CHEERS ] (Renee) There are times like at band camp when you see how hard they're working or you see them enjoying an activity with other kids that you really are the proudest of what they're doing.

It's exciting and fun to be in those places where we've performed and the music itself is very gratifying, but the experience with them is really what keeps me moving forward.

♪ MARCHING BAND MUSIC SWELLS AND FADES ♪ (Tom) Prince Elementary, along with Watershed Management and St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church, are planning a rain garden that will water plants that cool and shade the school and also provide food for pollinators.

Now, this effort will help the students and their parents learn about water cycles and ecology and then bring that knowledge back to their own neighborhoods.

♪ AMBIENT GUITAR [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] (Daniel) This drew me in because we were planting and harvesting water.

And I've done projects like this, especially in our yard.

So I was very excited to contribute and maybe try to get some ideas going.

If you tend the earth, it will tend you.

♪ AMBIENT MUSIC SWELLS (Joaquin) We are the Prince Elementary School.

We designed the rain gardens with the students.

The project that we're doing here is two sections.

One is a rain garden mainly for pollinators to attract butterflies, and bees, and birds, which is this section over here.

And the other section is this brand new section to the school, which is basically to bring some shade.

So we'll be doing some tree plantings.

[ CHILDREN TALKING ] (Joaquin) How are you?

[ INDISTINCT SALUTATIONS ] We're going to talk about rain today.

Have you seen rain here in the school?

[ INDISTINCT ASSENT ] The educational component is mainly to understand the water cycle and to try to infiltrate 50% of the water in the campus of the school.

Cuz that's what's happening in nature.

Whenever it rains, 50% of water infiltrates, but that's in the wild.

Imitating nature, that's part of the educational processes that we do.

Here is going to be a bunch of trees in a rain garden.

And here is going to be some trees and other plants.

(Samantha) Our school is super unique.

We have students from all over the world come in.

A lot of refugee families come in.

We have 17 or 18 different languages spoken here.

We've got families from different places in Africa.

We've got families from Mexico, from the Middle East.

[ SHOVELING ] (Kevin) Tree planting, especially in schools, is really important.

When we compare temperatures across the city, areas that don't have trees correspond to areas that are hotter than the rest of Tucson, but also correspond to low equity areas, areas where people are vulnerable and challenged.

And in many cases, more trees are the answer.

What's great about this project is they're designing it so that the trees will be supported by rainwater.

This summer, we got pretty good rain.

That rain, if it's collected and kept in the basin, can support the plants that these parents, students, and folks from St. Philip's Church are planting.

[ SHOVELING ] (Taylor) I think the call to steward the earth, to take care of the earth, is very clear in scripture and in our tradition.

Our lack of stewardship most deeply impacts people who are at the margins.

And so that's where it's really important to know our neighbors and to care for this fragile island home that we get to inhabit, to enjoy.

(Samantha) We have been working with St. Philip's in the Hills for the last few years.

They're one of our community partners here, and they recognize that there was a need for more greenery on our campus, in our area.

And so they asked us about writing a grant this Creation Care Grant to support our school and our community.

And we told them we would love that.

(Erika) Christians are always called to be on the front lines of justice in any area.

So just like we're called to be the first people to feed people who are hungry or help people who are imprisoned, I think we're also tasked to help the earth.

But also that helps the people who live on the earth.

(Amanda) This is my kid's school, so I just wanted to help contribute to the community for the school and do something amazing that we'll be able to share for a lifetime.

(Manuel) My background at UofA, I'm a UofA student.

I'm studying urban planning.

So these projects where we're helping cool down the city, use rainwater, is something that's really important.

So I'm glad to be out here helping.

(Leon) Oh, this is Little Mama.

And I call her Little Mama cuz she's little and she has a lot of little babies on her.

And yes, when I plant her right now, I'm gonna lose a couple, but they'll grow back.

♪ MINIMAL ELECTRONIC MUSIC ♪ (Kid) I like plants.

They're just really fun to climb, like trees.

(Daniel) I'm excited to see the effects and to see people gather and have fun.

I just want to let future generations enjoy and have a great time.

(Tom) The word "routine" can imply a rigid sense of structure that monetizes time and prioritizes productivity.

In contrast, ritual can seem more conducive to creativity for just being.

In this series, we spend time with people.

We learn about their rituals and the meaning they have in their lives.

Meet Erin Cox, who during the pandemic began creating still images from beloved ephemera and family relics.

♪ SOFT PIANO (Erin) Each vignette around my home...

It's creating small worlds.

It's creating energy.

My family wall is just... all my family members and I can spend time in that hallway.

and get filled with emotion.

and it's not really a sadness.

It's a feeling when I feel the most alive.

Whenever anybody is getting rid of things I'm the first one to be like, I'll take it.

I don't care what it is.

It can be my great aunt's marriage certificate.

My grandfather, who lived to be 109 months, I have his first report card.

It's my history and it's my legacy.

But it is kind of hard to take on all of these things because as I get older, you know, and when that time comes, I'm not sure if anyone's gonna know what it is.

And maybe that's just lost and maybe I take that with me.

But a lot of people in my family were pretty amazing.

And after my mother passed away, there were people who stepped in and took care of me and gave me a really great life and I'm forever grateful.

The first still life that I did was titled, "If I Can't Live in the Real World, I May As Well Create One."

During the pandemic, it turned into a daily ritual.

creating this world and then immediately taking it apart.

this metaphor of how fast life can change.

There's no real theme.

They're almost like little shrines.

It pays homage to my family and the love I have for them and the love that they had for me too.

I feel like I always use saints.

I always use dice.

That's something that's reoccurring.

I love the idea of something fresh like this cilantro with this succulent that's just died.

And it's just, this is so beautiful to me.

These seashells, I picked these at the beach out in Bodega Bay right after my grandfather passed away.

I love using saints for protection.

I love red roses.

This sweet butterfly just made its way into my home, and I just think it's beautiful.

The swan is the animal that I always identify with and have for a very long time.

I was on my own at 17.

This home is the longest place I've ever lived in.

This is like home and it's embedded, it's in the walls.

It's like seeped in the furniture.

A lot of good times, a lot of laughter, a lot of great meals shared.

And to me, that is what life is all about.

That's what was really great about starting these still lives is it just took me back to a place of just being slow and creating and just getting into like a little world and going through a thing, whatever that is.

And then I'm done with that.

And I feel like because I do that often and not just with still lives, but within my writing, or the friendships I have, I've really been able to dodge some therapy, I think, because I just feel like I'm always processing it.

For me, it's important to do it because I don't ever want to lose certain memories of my childhood and people who have made an impression in my life.

♪ SOFT PIANO FADES OUT (Tom) William Lesch is a photographer whose art focuses on our beloved desert and its unique people.

He believes that the blood that flows through our veins is similar to the water that flows through desert canyons.

This story explores Lesch's art, where he's been and where he's going.

♪ INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR (William) We are here for this brief instant.

All the plants, the animals, the clouds are here sharing that time, but all at different rates.

To the mountains, we're just like that.

We're there and gone.

And even to this tree, we're kind of here and gone.

If we could learn to think a little bit more like a tree, we might pay more attention to how we're treating everything.

(Mary) I've known Bill Lesch for 30 years.

He loves the Sonoran Desert.

And I find that he has a real fascination for the weather here as well, and the energy and in the weather.

And many bodies of work show that.

(William) Coming from the Midwest, I had a lot of trouble learning to be in the desert.

And it took me quite a while to come to a place where it felt like home to me.

Just a lot of walks, looking at things, mostly just paying attention.

(Cynthia) And always presenting the desert in images in ways that nobody had done.

The kind of science that he practices in terms of observations is just inspiring.

(William) I had this background in sciences and I actually had no background in art.

Digital didn't exist at that point, so this was totally film-based photography.

I loved the whole chemistry aspect of it.

I mean, to me it was like a combination of science and art.

I always wanted to push the edges of what I could do with either developers or filters.

(James) 32 years ago, I saw one of his images on a poster called "Blue Saguaro in Jupiter."

It stopped me in my tracks.

I couldn't figure out what I was looking at.

For years, I kind of followed his work.

I started working at Tohono Chul 10 years ago.

He submitted his work for one of our exhibitions And we've been working together ever since.

I follow him over the years as he would change what he was doing.

Things where he shot from up in the air, show what the environmental damage of something was.

He inspires me.

I've stolen from him.

(William) I remember one time watching like a tree just a really windy day and it was just blowing all over the place and I was like, "I wonder if I could photograph that and somehow get that feeling of that thing dancing."

I slowed the film down to where I could take a one or two second exposure to that.

I started shooting clouds that way.

(Tony) Bill sees life in a different way than we do.

He's there with his hands and like, "Oh, I see this, I see that," but we don't know it until we see it on paper.

(William) In 2008, I had an accident in a surf off Santa Cruz.

It made me realize how thin that line is between living and not living.

I came this close to dying.

I realized if you've got things that you wanted to do, you better damn well do them, because you could go anytime.

I had in mind for a photograph, I went out on the other side of Gates Pass, took that photograph five different times a day, plus I went out at night with a light, basically paint with the times of day.

We have tended to think of photographs as being like that, and I wanted to stretch out that time.

I wanted to talk about what happens before the photograph, after the photograph, you know, the time frame where that landscape is a lot longer than that little 60th of a second.

(Mary) One of the great things that he found with digital technology was his painting that he also loved to do could come back into play and to be something that he could in a sense customize.

So he keeps evolving his creative practice and there's always something new to explore with Bill and that in turn gives us a chance to see the desert in yet another way.

(William) Photograph of the cave in the Grand Canyon, that's a great example of where digital can do things that you weren't able to do with film.

When I was setting it up, I was kind of like, "Oh my God, look at all those footprints.

What could I do about those?"

That's 30 years worth of footprints in there.

People going through there, leaving little bits of their spirit.

I saw afterwards that people had moved, so I decided after the fact that I wanted to ghost the people in the Grand Canyon.

We also inhabited it with the ghosts of the people who were there before.

Painting kind of steals time kind of stops time.

Where somehow with the photography, because of the layers that he's doing, I think, you get this depth to them and this multiple movement of things going this way and that way, and different levels that you're there.

And I don't know many artists that can do that.

He's not really taking a photograph.

He's making an image.

A lot of these things kind of talk about time and how time is revealed slowly.

And so these things take, you know, a day to make, setting up his camera in various locations and photographing the same scene over and over and over and then merging them together.

(William) Timepiece photographs, the sun comes up every day, it goes across the sky, the moon's coming up, the clouds are going over.

There's a endless rhythm there.

We just perceive that rhythm in such a limited way because of how long our lives are.

Now it's gotten even worse.

We have to be productive every second.

How often do we go out and see time isn't our phones.

Time is what's going on out there in this endless cycle.

He captures something that I think in poetry they call it "The eternal present."

You know it's that thing but it's happening right now but it seems like it's happening like this.

All the time you just didn't know it And it's going to keep happening exactly like this.

(Tom) Thank you for joining us from here at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park.

I'm Tom McNamara.

We'll see you next week for another episode of Arizona Illustrated.