Marching Band Has Jazz Ensemble Planned For Season

By Tanjua Damon

If you see a group of 130 students doing funny line designs in the Newtown High School parking lot, not to worry: it is band camp week and the students are gearing up for the marching band season.

The Newtown High School Marching Band will participate in 11 competitions this year with the annual Joseph P. Grasso Marching Band Festival set for the evening of Friday, October 12. Ten bands are expected to compete in the festival.

Newtown High School Band Director James Dumas is looking for an exciting and fulfilling marching season with his band members. The group will be playing a jazz style selection of “T.O.” to open, “Pegasus” for the ballad, and “Malaguena” for the close.

“It’s really a jazz idiom show this year. This year should bring a lot of charges,” Mr Dumas said. “We’re in a new conference, the Musical Arts Conference (MAC). It’s a different judging panel and different setup.”

The new conference provides judging sheets that are educational and student oriented and will allow students to have a better understanding of what needs to be improved.

“That’s going to be exciting. I get a lot more from the students when they hear the response and read the sheets,” Mr Dumas said. “It gives them a sense of ownership of what needs to be changed. That’s an important thing for me to feel that the students are actively involved in the show’s development.”

The high school marching band is also a part of the New York State Field Band Conference and will play at the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University.

“Our program is built on the three pillars — dedication, excitement and pride,” Mr Dumas said. “We work our tail off to get the crowd off their feet. We like our judges to like our show, but we’re more interested in entertaining the parents and the crowd that pays at the gate. We really strive to make this fun and entertaining.”

The marching band will be under the direction of three drum majors this season – seniors Sheila O’Connor and Sarah Adams-Shepherd, and junior Aileen Mosal. The three are looking forward to an exciting season as well as the marching band bonding as a team.

Sarah Adams-Shepherd was part of the color guard during her first two years of marching band; during her third year she was part of the percussion pit.

“I’m looking forward to being a drum major for a year now. I’ve really been wanting it,” Sarah said. “I really just hope it’s a great season. I’m hoping our band really pulls together. It doesn’t matter if we win as long as we’re having fun.”

Helping people out is one reason Sheila O’Connor wanted to try to be a drum major. She played the clarinet during previous marching band seasons.

Drum majors are typically seniors, but Aileen Mosal wanted to try out a different part of the marching band.

“I wanted to be a drum major because I thought I would be able to lead the band well,” Aileen said. “I like being able to help people out. Besides conducting the show, they help people out.”

“It’s a new experience,” admitted the junior. “But it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

All three students are looking forward to the different perspective they will get while conducting instead of being part of the music of the show.

“It’s so cool. The adrenaline you get when you go on the field for competitions,” Sheila said, “you can’t really get that in anything else.”

“It’s like a huge family,” Aileen added. “Especially for freshman. It’s a whole new way to meet new people.”

The marching band plays at most of the high school’s football games on Friday nights and attends marching band competitions on Saturdays.