In existence since the school's opening in 1965, the Lakeside Viking Band keeps community at the heart of its existence.
The Lakeside Viking Band has been in existence since the school’s opening in 1965 and under the direction of Dr. David L. Fairchild since 2003. Situated in Northeast Atlanta, Lakeside enjoys a culturally diverse student body fed by Henderson Middle School. Together with his staff, Dr. Fairchild fosters an environment of respect, acceptance, responsiblity, and dedication among all his band students, whether during the school day or after. Many families over the years have chosen to live in the Lakeside district so their children can benefit from this positive and supportive environment.
The Viking Band is very active in its district and the greater Atlanta area. Over the years they have performed for a variety of distinguished audiences, including President Richard Nixon and a Columbine High School shooting survivor. They have also performed for a wide variety of events, including the opening of the Georgia Dome, the Spivey Hall Jazz Festival, and Georgia Tech Band Day. Georgia State, Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State have all enjoyed partnerships with the Viking Band as have many artists and composers, including Peter Bond, Bruce Broughton, Freddy Martin, Sam Hazo, and Bucky Johnson, Michael Daugherty, and Aaron Perrine.
For several years in a row the Viking Band has participated in the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park, the Sandy Springs Sparkle Parade as well as the Inman Park Parade. But perhaps the band's highest profile annual community event is the DragonCon Festival. The DragonCon Parade boasts an audience of over 50,000 people and live broadcast coverage. The Lakeside Viking Band can boast that they are the ONLY high school band invited to march--an incredible honor!
The band program offers many activities for student involvement. The Lakeside Marching Band began competitive performance in 2004 routinely places or wins its class in competitions. The Viking Jazz includes a big band and smaller jazz combos which perform for school and community events, and hosts an annual swing dance each spring. Classes that students can take during the seven-period school day include Symphonic I, Symphonic II, Purple Band, Gold Band, and Vibe! the Lakeside Percussion Ensemble.
Past Lakeside Band Directors Kenneth Kraus ·. Richard Brock ·. Rick Bennett ·. Alan Cameron ·. Ron Volz ·. Kevin Jones ·. Antionio McPhearson