Inside the Drum Corps Powering Independence High School

In every school, there’s always that one place where students learn more than what’s in the textbooks, where they figure out who they are and who they want to be. At Independence High School, that place is the Drum Corps. More than ten years strong, it’s become a force of discipline, creativity, and pure school pride. Under the steady leadership of Band Director Aretha Flores, these young musicians have turned practice into purpose and rhythm into a movement. And today, they’re doing a lot more than performing for trophies, they’re shaping the heartbeat of the entire campus. News Five’s Paul Lopez has their story in this week’s Kolcha Tuesday.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The Independence High School Drum Corps has been around for more than a decade, but it truly hit its stride when Band Director Aretha Flores came on board. Under her leadership, the group stepped onto the national stage, winning gold at its first Belize Band Fest in 2023, taking silver in 2024, and reclaiming the top spot at home in 2025. With just a month to go before the 2026 competition, it’s clear that discipline is far more than a pastime for these students. It’s part of who they are.

 

Alyssa Watson, Senior Member, IHS Drum Corps.

“Well I just love dancing overall and I always wanted to be a part of a band. And this band is just super special to me because we all are one. We are a family and I love everyone here at the band. It makes my school life enjoyable and better because some days I can be stressed about schoolwork and just thinking about oh I have practice today and all that stress just leaves when I am dancing.”

 

Jevon Robateau, Section Leader, IHS Drum Corps

 “I enjoy the discipline. That always comes first. Our band coordinator pushed discipline and the love. We are like a family.”

 

The IHS Drum Corps is a family. More than one hundred and twenty members move as one, blending crisp rhythms with eye‑catching choreography to create a sound and style all their own. Band Director Aretha Flores is the head of this family, and she runs a tight ship. At the helm is Band Director Aretha Flores, who keeps the entire family running with precision.

 

Aretha Flores, Band Director, IHS Drum Corps

“The first thing we do is create our beats and that is like the hardest, because we don’t duplicate. We don’t do replicas. We try to be very creative. We have a whole world of music out there. So, I stress my students, listen I don’t want to hear what I have heard before. Afterwards it is so easy. Well, I have to have the theme. That is the hardest part for me. I have to know what I will portray out there and as a teacher I want everything to be a lesson. So, I have to create a theme and take it to the band leader, who is my son.”

 

Iley Flores is the musical mastermind. With some help from his section members, he creates the music that group dances to and the school is proud of calling its unique sound.

 

Iley Flores, Band Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“So I really love to listen to music. Me and my mom would play a random beat on the speaker or if we hear songs at parties, my mom would be like oh Iley I will send you this song. I would go in my room and make the song and the next day at practice I would tell my band members and we will grab our instruments and start. To me I love all the genres of music, the Spanish, Soca, Dancehall, Punta.”

 

Dejaune Cayetano, Bass Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“So making a beat is very hard, but Ms. A always come with ideas for us so that we can make new beats.”

 

Independence High School may have more than nine hundred students and over fifty teachers, but when it comes to the drum corps, everyone, especially the members, keeps things tightly under wraps. That means no phones during practice sessions and a commitment to never sharing band choreography and music with outsiders.

 

Aretha Flores

“One of the beauties about Independence High School Drum Corps is the diversity. If you look at the members on the band, it’s like Belize. You see Garifuna, East Indian, Mestizo, Maya, Mennonite, Creole, it is beautiful.”

 

With Aretha Flores leading the Drum Corps, students get one constant reminder: school comes first. Their grades decide how much they get to perform. It’s a sacrifice, but one the students are willing to make.

 

Veronyka Castillo, Member, IHS Drum Corps

“The discipline of the band increases my dedication towards my school work because Ms. A always puts the school first before the band.”

 

Caidyn Pandy, Flag Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“I came to this band and I had no confidence, and now I have confidence in myself.”

 

Colleen Thompson, Dancer, IHS Drum Corps

“Creating bonds with a lot of other people, males, females, you meet and you learn and gain experience, and you gain discipline.”

 

As these students get ready to step onto the national stage once again, they’re carrying more than their instruments, they’re carrying the values that define Independence High School. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

 

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