Marching Chip with muscular dystrophy contributes passion, determination to CMU marching band
Athens junior Gaia Herrick's persistence pays off on the field
It's Monday morning — you sluggishly walk to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Muscle memory guides you through your tasks before you head out the door.
Everyday, most of us take our mobility for granted. Athens junior Gaia Herrick doesn't.
At 10 years old, Herrick was diagnosed with an unidentified type of muscular dystrophy. Herrick’s doctors determined her condition was more severe than congenital muscular dystrophy and are still working to establish what type she has.
“When I was first diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, I never used a wheelchair. I didn’t grasp what the full potential of this disease was,” Herrick said. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s been difficult to see the progression of my disease.”
Despite having muscular dystrophy, Herrick took the field on Sept. 8 with the Marching Chips. She is able to participate in marching band with the aid of her wheelchair and one of her fellow marchers to help her navigate the field.
At birth, Herrick was misdiagnosed with arthrogryposis, a joint disease.
“I was basically born in half,” Herrick said. “I was in a full-body cast quite often as a child.”
While Herrick's muscular dystrophy diagnosis was discouraging, she did not allow it it interfere with her love for the clarinet.
Muscular dystrophy, also known as MD, is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder where genetic mutations interrupt the production of proteins. Herrick describes her condition as having some muscles that are weak -- like her heart and lungs -- while others don't work at all.
The disease affects about 100,000 Americans, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Many MD patients can expect short lifespans and are often unable to walk.
Due to MD, Herrick's childhood was filled with doctor's appointments. She had multiple medical procedures done before she was three years old. Robert Herrick, Gaia’s father, will always cherish the moment when Gaia took her first steps at age four.
“It was the night of Christmas Eve and (Gaia) gave my wife and I the greatest Christmas gift ever. She put so much effort into her first steps,” Robert said, “My wife couldn’t help but tear up.”
Herrick also said she will never forget her first steps.
“I was with my cousins and they kept encouraging me to play with them,” Herrick said, “I used a chair to push myself up and walked over to my cousins as my family looked on in astonishment."
Her interests in music grew as she became more comfortable shadowing her father, who is an elementary and high school band director. A year after taking her first steps, Herrick was able to play the trumpet, piano and drums.
Her musical ambitions took full flight in middle school, the same year she was diagnosed with MD. Herrick decided she wanted to dedicate herself to mastering the clarinet.
Upon entering high school, Herrick was excited to participate in marching band. However, freshman year did not go the way she thought it would.
“They did not accommodate for my disability.” Herrick said.
Following a disappointing freshman year, Herrick transferred to nearby Climax-Scotts High School in Climax, Michigan where her musical journey was able to continue.
Climax-Scotts band director and 2009 CMU graduate Ryan Cupp not only accepted Herrick into the marching band, but he personally wrote the marching band formations around where Herrick would be.
“We would set out a chair and music stand on the field for Gaia before we performed and moved our formations around where Gaia was.” Cupp said.
Cupp saw the passion Herrick has for music firsthand.
“I require my students to practice for a certain amount of time each month,” Cupp said, “Gaia undoubtedly practiced more than any other student I’ve had, toppling over 10,000 minutes in one semester.”
Laura Bandlow, Herrick’s private instructor, helped elevate Gaia’s clarinet skill to where it is today, as an asset in CMU's marching band. Since Herrick has worked with Bandlow, she won the John Phillip Sousa award for best senior musician, was invited to be in the Meyer Music All-Star Band, was lead clarinet in two different college ensembles and received a scholarship for music.
After earning three associate degrees from Kellogg Community College, Herrick had her first experience physically moving with a marching band when she arrived at CMU. Marching band director Dr. James Batcheller said he was more than willing to coordinate plans for a talented musician.
Batcheller accommodates Herrick by providing space for free agents during performances.
“We write each formation to have one or two people less in each section than there actually are in case of an injury, illness or family event,” he said, “Instead of having members who are not marching in the show stand on the side, we have a consistent rotation of band members who volunteer to push Gaia on the field.”
This method not only provides Gaia the opportunity to participate in the marching band but also allows others a chance to get some exposure on the field while interacting with the positive energy Herrick exudes. A win-win for all parties.
“Gaia’s transition to the marching band has been as smooth or smoother than anyone else,” Batcheller said, “It stems from her attitude but also from her musical ability and sheer will get past her mobility issues.”
No matter how she is feeling, Herrick steps up and faces the day. Herrick’s father mentioned that it’s easy for a disabled person to throw the towel in, but Gaia is a go-getter who wants to earn her blessings.
“Up until a couple years ago, Gaia rarely used her wheelchair because she wanted to prove she can walk and move like a normal person even with this disease.” Robert said.
While Gaia may rely on a wheelchair to get around now, her desire to be great pushes her to gain ground.
“The biggest thing I tell people with disabilities or anyone with obstacles in their life is to just keep pushing,” Herrick said, “Never let anyone say you can’t do it.”
