Tune In! @WHRHS

WHRHS Marching Band Ready for Take Off

Guess what time it is!! During the last couple of weeks of summer vacation the Watchung Hill’s Marching Band has been in full swing to prepare for their upcoming season. Led by Senior Drum Major Michael Griffin and Junior Drum Major Anastasia Rick, and with new percussion instructor Nicole Drasin, everyone is very excited to for their upcoming season.

The 2012 half time production is called Aerodynamics. The theme of the show is about going up and into the future. Song selections include Into the Clouds, Flying Away and Star Trek. One of the many featured drill designs includes the entire band creating formations of birds as the show progresses.

I sat down and talked to both drum majors and the new drum coach Nicole about the marching band itself.

The marching band this year is the biggest it has been in many years! Everyone looks forward to band camp because it is the start of a new season and more and more people are added into their family. Nicole Drasin, who just graduated from Syracuse University, was a graduate from Watchung Hills who was Drum Major during her high school career. She was extremely involved every year with the marching band and the theater group Script and Cue. This was a family atmosphere for her. She loved being around the music and loved every minute of being involved. She decided to come back and help out because she wanted to give back to a group of people who contributed so much to her life.

The newest drum major this year is Anastasia Rick. She is currently a junior at the high school and plays the trumpet. She became extremely interested in the marching band when she was in 8^th grade. Each year, a couple people from the band travel to each of the sending district schools to talk about joining marching band. This presentation is where her interest in the band was sparked. Her older sister was also involved with the band. Now, Anastasia has grown into a leadership role as Junior Drum Major and featured trumpet soloist.

The returning drum major is Michael Griffin. He is a senior at the high school and plays the clarinet and drums. He was the junior drum major last year and has been involved ever since freshman year. He has participated at the Drum Major Academy over the summer up at University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was taught under the legendary drum major George N. Parks. 

The Marching Band is ready for their season to begin. The entire community is invited to come out to their first public performance of Aerodynamics on Thursday August 30th at 11:00 A.M at Watchung Hills Regional High School.  

Hope to see you all there! 

Tune In! Is a regular column featuring what’s happening behind the curtain in the WHRHS arts department. Follow the action as hundreds of students prepare for arts events throughout the 2012/2013 school year.