All the uniforms are pressed and packed. All the instruments are shiny and ready to be boarded. The plumes are all straight and packed with the hats. Gloves and shoes are packed away. Why?
Well because the award winning is leaving on Thursday, April 19th, for Disneyworld. They have been invited to lead the Electric Parade down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.
The Marching Band, the pride of , under the direction of Matthew Laudano, the newly appointed Band Director has had another . The Band finished in and in the Class IIa Division, came in and won the first annual Cadet Award for Excellence. The only band to win the award in the Class IIa Division at the States competition this year.
The show they performed this year, Glory, which was based upon music from the Civil war and will perform it again during the parade in Disneyworld.
The kids worked very hard this year both preparing for competitions and fundraising for all the necessities not covered by the budget from the Board of Education, and for offsetting the cost of the Disneyworld trip.
This trip is one that is done every four years and is a huge honor and a well deserved reward for an amazing season.
The band begins working on their upcoming season in late April, early May the school year before competition season. They rehearse two nights a week and do so all throughout the spring and fall along with a grueling week long "band camp" in which they begin to really learn the complicated moves they execute on the field.
This is all while working hard to maintain their grades, do chores at home, some even have part-time jobs and still they continue to shine and win awards.
All this is made possible by much hard work by the "Band Parents" who give of their time by building and hauling displays onto the field, feeding the kids on competition days, altering uniforms, fundraising and most importantly attending competitions as their most ardent fans.
I know all of this because my daughter is a member of the Marching Band. There has not been a competition I have attending in the two years she has performed where I didn't get choked up at the enormity of their talent and lose my voice cheering them onto victory!!
On behalf of all the Band Parents, I will gush and say we couldn't be more proud of you all without bursting. Go to Disney and show them what you are made of and what a winning Band looks and sounds like!!
So please, lets give the East Haven High School Yellow Jackets Marching Band a huge round of applause and send them off to represent East Haven with pride.
Where We Go One We Go All.
