From Quiet Sacrifice to Center Stage
Written by Erin Slaughter on August 30, 2025
By KTSU2 Reporter Erin Slaughter
— Dr. Kwanza Oliver, Band Mother
“I don’t have a son, so I can’t speak to what it’s like to have a star football or basketball player,” she said, her voice steady with pride. “But my star is in the band.”
On a golden August morning, Oliver set out from Atlanta, her mother, two daughters, and other close relatives in tow.
Their destination: Houston, Texas.
The tight-knit family was headed to the 2025 National Battle of the Bands Showcase — a prestigious event that spotlights the nation’s finest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their renowned marching bands.
When she arrived, Oliver wore her pride like a second skin. Her royal blue vest bore an Albany State University design, her dreadlocks framed her face, and in her hand she carried a tote bag stitched with the words, “The Ramily Has Shown Up.”
The phrase was a heartfelt nod to the Albany State family.
“My heart is full. My joy is complete,” she said softly.
— Dr. Kwanza Oliver, Band Mother
“She makes me and our entire village so proud. We are in awe of her dedication. From drum major in high school to a college freshman in the band with a bright future, she has come so far,” she continued.
Her daughter, 17-year-old clarinetist Braunz Smalls, traveled 16 hours by bus from Savannah to Houston with her Albany State bandmates, all to seize the chance to perform on one of the nation’s biggest stages for HBCU bands.
For Smalls, the experience was about more than just performing. It was about proving something.
“It was nerve-wracking, but an awesome experience,” she said. “We are a smaller band, so we felt like we had something to prove — and we did. It was great.”
— Braunz Smalls, Clarinetist, Albany State Band
Behind the joyful celebration and confident stage performance lay a journey defined by quiet sacrifice — a story that began long before the Houston showcase.
Smalls spent over a decade at the same charter school, from second grade through high school. It was a supportive community where she thrived academically and socially, even though her high school years offered no band or football team.
Driven by her passion for music, she joined the Savannah High School band while still enrolled at her charter school. In her senior year, she faced a life-changing choice: leave the only school she’d ever known to become drum major (the student leader of the Savannah High band) or give up playing for Savannah High altogether.
In the end, Oliver said, her daughter ultimately chose to follow her dreams, leaving the charter school in her rearview mirror.
“She was there to cut the ribbon when that charter school first opened. I can’t imagine being in a place for 11 years, where you know everyone — students and staff — and having to walk away from it all,” Oliver said.
“That’s why her story inspires me so much. I don’t think I could have faced that kind of scrutiny with such courage, class, and grace,” she continued.
Dr. Kwanza Oliver, Band Mother
Smalls’ unwavering dedication carried her to Houston, Texas — a national stage where all her years of effort came to fruition.
As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Braunz Smalls, with courage and clarinet in hand, proved exactly that.
