MOULTRIE, Ga. — Liz Savage has an extremely young, but also extremely enthusiastic, 50th Regiment in her fifth year as Colquitt County High School’s director of bands.

It has performed well in competitions, despite having about 80 percent of its 124 members who are freshmen or sophomores, leaving its director pleased with its progress.

But Savage clearly means to grow the program, starting with plans to get more students signed up for beginner band, keeping them involved and ultimately creating senior classes larger than one that numbers 22 this year.

The 50th Regiment is most visible on Friday nights during football season, performing at Packer football games at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

But Savage oversees a program that also includes symphonic and jazz bands and helps develop young musicians at Willie J. Williams Middle School and Charlie A. Gray Junior High School.

And it is in the early grades that Savage is concentrating her efforts to build the program.

Last year, she went to all Colquitt County elementary schools to meet with their fifth-graders, letting them “test-drive” instruments, talk to current band members and learn about the program.

Some 120 signed up for sixth-grade band and 95 remain.

“If we can consistently get 100 kids, we’re hoping in a couple of years, we’ll see better numbers,” Savage said.

The sixth-grade band at Willie J. Williams Middle School is led by Michael Walker, who is in his first year at Colquitt County. He comes from Jeff Davis County, where he was the Teacher of the Year at the school in which he worked.

Savage knew of Walker and pursued him.

“He wasn’t looking for a new job, but we sought him out,” she says. “He is incredible. So passionate. A giant.”

At the junior high, Jake Thompson is working with the band for the fourth year.

“He’s a first-time daddy and so compassionate,” Savage says.

Aaron Savage, Liz’s husband, travels between Williams, Gray and the high school, working the percussion students.

Kimberly Davis is in her second year as the color guard instructor.

Savage knew both Thompson and Davis when they were students and she was teaching in Tift County.

The staff is becoming more cohesive.

“Everything is better this year than it was last year,” Savage said.

And Savage herself is feeling more comfortable in her role as the leader of the program.

She began playing flute when she was a fourth-grader in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., part of a family of musicians that had its own wedding band.

She continued to play when she moved with her family to Marietta, Ga.

Savage says she never really “loved” playing until her sophomore year in high school when she became inspired by her school’s band directors.

While a junior at Pope High School, she traveled to Jacksonville State University in Alabama and was smitten by the school’s band.

“That was it,” she says. “I never wanted to go anywhere else. That was what changed my life.”

She went to Jacksonville State and was a member of the Marching Southerners, playing flute and piccolo.

Her first teaching job came right after she graduated from Jacksonville State in 2003. At 21, she went to work at Handley Middle School in Roanoke, Ala.

“We had incredible support there,” she says. “It was a great school, great community.

“We had 13 kids in band when I got there and 80 when I left at the end of my second year.”

But she wanted to get back to Georgia and took a position in Tift County as the middle school band director. She taught seventh- and eighth-grade band and remained in Tifton for seven years before coming to Moultrie.

Savage, then married and mother of 1-year old son Jaxon, became the band director at Colquitt County under difficult circumstances, taking over after Paul Guilbeau was released.

“I think a husband and wife with a child was just what was needed,” she says. “The kids needed us and we needed the kids.

“That first year was such a whirlwind. The band parents were so supportive.”

Little Jaxon is now 5 and was joined by baby brother Cooper a year ago.

They have grown, as has their mother.

Under her direction, the 50th Regiment has continually received superior ratings at marching festivals.

Last year, it placed third at the 2015 Coffee Marching Invitational and earlier this school year placed fourth overall out of 14 bands and earned the Mayor’s Cup in Tift County’s resurrected Spirit of the South competition.

“That was not bad for a young group,” Savage said. “There were some very good bands there and we finished right behind the big-name groups.”

The 50th Regiment’s production this year is titled PRISM and is a musical depiction of the colors of the rainbow or spectrum, Savage says.

Each movement is set to give the audience a chance to relate music to colors.

The opener is “Malaguena,” a Spanish/Latin tune, with hints of “House of the Rising Sun” to represent red, orange and yellow.

The ballad is “Over the Rainbow,” to represent all the colors, and the closer is “Moondance” and “Purple Rain” to represent blue, indigo and violet.

The underclassmen-dominated band tackled the new production this year and has made up for its lack of experience with enthusiasm and genuine togetherness, Savage says.

“They’re a family,” she says. “The veterans take to the younger kids and just wrap them up.”

Because of the band’s youth, “the process is taking longer,” Savage says.

“Retention is a little harder,” she says. “It’s not easy playing your instrument and moving your feet at the same time.”

But the current 50th Regiment goes about learning with vigor, Savage says.

“They really enjoy performing,” she says. “And one thing I have learned is that no matter what I think, it’s still incredibly fun for them to perform.”

In fact, during the final week of preparations for the Spirt of the South, the band practiced four days rather than its normal three.

On a Friday night when the football team was off, the band rehearsed at the stadium.

“And there were no complaints,” she says. “We grilled out, played football on the field and just all fellowshipped together.

“We’re not just their teachers. We try to be as involved in as many facets of their lives as we can.”

On the field, the band is under the direction of senior drum major Oscar Avalos, who plays the French horn and trumpet.

Savage couldn’t say enough about Avalos and his development over the last four years.

“When he was a freshman, I couldn’t see him growing into it,” she says. “He has grown so much. He just exudes leadership.

“And he is looking into music education as a college choice.”

Junior Ryan Trevino is the assistant drum major. Savage calls Trevino “very charismatic.”

“Those two are right below the director,” Savage says. “They are in charge of keeping it together.”

Savage says this year’s band has received considerable support from the booster club, headed by president Keith Yates.

Vice president Janet Davis, secretary Misty Nemeth and co-treasurers Stephanie Massey and Lisa Pitts round out the leadership group that is “on the top of its game,” Savage says.

“They do everything they can to help the kids and keep the program going,” she says. “They are always looking to do something for the kids.”

The band made history this year — performing alongside the high school choral department during both groups’ Christmas concert.

“This was the first time ever that the band and choir have performed a full piece together on a concert in Moultrie,” Savage said, “and Mrs. (Beth) Miller and I had a blast putting it together and working together.”

Savage notes that band does not end when football season and the competitive seasons are over.

January through May is an extremely busy time, Savage says.

There are evaluations for the two concert bands and two percussion ensembles and spring guard classes.

Several members of the band are involved in the community musical, which this year is “Mary Poppins,” to be performed Feb. 17-19. Savage will conduct the pit.

“There are concerts and fund-raisers,” she said. “Then we start the audition process for next year.”