Welcome to On A Water Break—your sideline pass to the world of drum corps, marching band, color guard, and the marching arts! In this bonus “With” episode, host Stephen McCarrick sits down with Neal Bright, drummer for the Savannah Bananas Pep Band, to unpack six seasons of stunt drumming, pre-game pageantry, viral social-media fame—and the reality of balancing it all around a school-day teaching career.

Episode Segments

• 32-Count Life Story
  Neal’s lightning-fast origin: Effingham, GA → Georgia Southern & West Georgia → middle-school band director → “one-off” summer gig → permanent spot in the Savannah Bananas Pep Band.
• Inside the Show
  How the Bananas blend choreography, crowd interaction, stunt drumming and TikTok-worthy antics into every plaza rehearsal and in-game routine.
• Water We Doing?
  A hot take on why marching-arts educators rarely mention paid entertainment-band careers—and why drumline skills can become a fun, income-generating side hustle.
• Gush & Go
  Great news: Neal’s first child is due this December (banana-onesie ready!), plus a reminder about Stephen’s July 12 drum clinic at Rowan University.

Watch the Pep Band in Action

• This Is Bananas: Banana Band ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEIWCpuwIoc youtube.com
• Pep Band Practice #Shorts ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uj-hjsZZKVU youtube.com
• Official Savannah Bananas Site ▶️ https://thesavannahbananas.com/ thesavannahbananas.com

Listen Everywhere

• YouTube Channel ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIZAjFybvq_AzpFUXvNJDQ
• Spotify ▶️ https://open.spotify.com/show/onawaterbreak
• Apple Podcasts ▶️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-a-water-break/id1653637341
• Google Podcasts, Amazon Music & more — search “On A Water Break”

Connect & Get Involved

• On A Water Break (IG & X) ▶️ @onawaterbreakpodcast
• Host Stephen McCarrick ▶️ @stephenmccarrick
• Guest Neal Bright ▶️ @nealdrums1
• Guest Signup ▶️ https://forms.gle/7GcpYZLfY8Uo54pp9
• Website ▶️ https://onawaterbreakpodcast.com

Sponsor

Guard Closet
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