Marching Band Mixes Athleticism, Art

About 60 students in the Marching Band and Color Guard jogged around the track to warm up before their rehearsal Tuesday evening.

They stretched and tuned their instruments, and then practiced complex, choreographed marching.

Band director Ken Korlishin said most people who have not seen their shows don't understand what the band actually does—perform pieces that combine athleticism, choreography, pageantry and music.

The band is off to a successful start, finishing in first-place in their first competition of the season. They had the highest scores in music, overall effect and visual performance, according to a district announcement.

The band is scheduled to perform at the home football game that starts at 7 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, they are scheduled to perform at the Meadowlands to compete in the Yamaha Cup. The marching band competition at MetLife Stadium is expected to draw 59 bands.

Their show, "Words That Changed the World," features recordings of speeches by Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

"People actually cry at our show, in a good way," Korlishin said.

Associate marching band director Miguel Bolivar, who also is the band director at , wrote the music for wind instruments. Marching band staff member Joe Bergen wrote the percussion parts and Dave Caravella designed the visual, marching elements of the show.

The band is under the student leadership of drum major Robyn Anderson, assistant drum major Dylan Casler and color guard captain Arnelle Pierre-Louis.

The band at the high school on Oct. 1, drawing 13 bands.