After two decades of silence, Cody High School’s marching band returned to the field at homecoming—and brought the house down.
Twenty-four students performed at halftime, marking the program’s first appearance since the early 2000s. A $439,000 grant funding tutoring, meals, and music lessons across Detroit schools made it possible.
But getting there wasn’t easy. “People threw up, people cried,” one student said. “Sticking through hard things makes you stronger.”
Band director Damian Lyles moved back to Detroit specifically to revive the program. “I was part of the great era when marching band was huge here,” he said. “I want to see that glory come back.”
For a city with a legendary marching band tradition, Friday night was more than a performance—it was a comeback.
