Those additional captains
So here it is, why did I add three pit and drum captains a week and a half after I originally put the list up. Many people are reading into all kinds of things, saying “why did he add captains? ” Well here it is, I made a mistake. I changed my mind and added three captains. Simple. No ulterior motives, no public pressure, no reacting to the outside forces in the district. In this case, an apple is just an apple, that’s all. I tell the students that sometimes you read too much into something, looking at every blemish and dent on the apple, trying to break it apart and dissect it, examining it and trying to figure it out. It is just an apple, that’s all.
Anybody who knows me well fully understands that in a million years, I would never add positions due to political pressure from anyone. It's not in my fiber, never was, and never will be. I live and breathe by my conviction and integrity. Anyone who knows me really well knows this about me. I do make mistakes, will “flip flop” on things to a fault at times, but I spend hours and hours choosing the student leadership team for the band each year. I do my best. Sometimes mistakes are made and the wrong people are chosen. I never really know that until we get into the next season, when the person rises or falls in the position. I am confident that I have chosen an incredible team of leaders for next year.
Colorguard
We are going to make the colorguard larger this year. Kerianne McMahon will be running the guard, she is already starting some casual rehearsals. Ms. McMahon is incredible and has already started to recruit! We have 26 colorguard members and will probably go up to 40 this year by the time we add the incoming 8th graders. The new uniform has been chosen and is on the band website. It is amazing, check it out! We will be adding rifles this year in a few tunes. I have always avoided the weapons, however the judges are telling us to add them. We are not in support of firearms, they are pieces of wood that are used as twirling batons and we will be trying them in a few places in this year’s show. I am totally thrilled that Ms. McMahon will be on our staff!
Gene Bennett
We will have a major addition to our staff this year once we get approval from the administration and the board of education. As you know, Jonathan Schwartz became very busy this year with his personal life and was unable to come to the last 5 rehearsals and events. With that said, we have landed one of the best visual directors and drill designers to join our staff. Gene Bennett has been with Huntington and Sachem for many years and now will be on our staff. Gene will be writing the drill, retooling our marching basics, and helping our band to become a National Class band. He has numerous 1st place band wins under his belt and has been the main reason that Huntington has been a dynasty since 1979. As a director, I have taught drill and ran basics with our current drill instructor, Jim Downey, in Gene Bennet’s style of teaching, Hoping we would get him on board at some point. Mr. Downey and Mr. Bennet have been working together for years now, making an outstanding team and ensuring a seamless transition. We have also been doing basics using Mr. Bennett’s technique as a model. I cannot tell you how excited I am to get this gentleman on our staff, running the visual program. His being here will enable Ms. Miller, Mr. Gazzo, and myself to do what we do best, music. We will take full responsibility to work on breathing, tone quality, articulation, and music basics while Mr. Bennett and Mr. Downey teach the drill and marching. Mr. Bennett will be writing what I call a “real drill.” My drills are good for a good band. We have done well by my drill but now it is time to move on. In other words, the band has outgrown my drill. We need to have one of those incredible drills that the National Class bands do, more sets, more movement, seamless flag transitions and beautiful, moving forms. My drills had to rely on gimmicks. Also, our band, due to the music staff splitting between visual and music, has not been as well rehearsed as it could have been. Now we can focus on music and leave the visual to the masters. The band will sound better, louder, and cleaner. We will not only march in step, but will have style when we march. Mr. Bennet is magical, every band he works with wins! This is an incredible gain for us. We are adding one of the best names in the business to our staff. You will see an amazing difference with our show this year. Mr. Bennett will be at our entire band camp and at all rehearsals. Of course, this is all pending approval of the BOE and administration.
Band Size and Recruiting
We will be growing once again. I will have to order about 35 uniforms for next year as well as the new colorguard uniforms. The amount of spots in each section has been determined due to drill limitations. When you do a real drill you need to fit into the 8’s and 16’s, enabling the drill designer to make those great forms. This is what the best bands do. I have listed the amount of openings in each section and as we fill them we will maneuver people around to different instruments, to fit the needs of the drill. The list is up at the high school and middle school bandrooms and will be updated weekly on this website. We will have auditions for sections to fill the spots according to ability. We will only accept new members if they pass a basic audition on the new instrument or flag. As always, we will find a spot for everyone who wants to be in the marching band.
Frank Mauriello
We finally have a pit instructor, pending board approval of course. We have procured one of the best pit instructors, Frank Mauriello. He has been running the pit at Mineola and will be running our pit, attend our entire band camp and all our rehearsals. Frank’s addition enables Mr. Gazzo to run the winds with me and help the entire band sound better, focusing on musical basics. Mr. Mauriello’s energy and pit writing is incredible, he will do a great job with us!
Golf Cart
To have a golf cart or not, that is the question. We are contemplating purchasing a golf cart. I have been going back and forth on this for the last few months. In the old days, bands would make a train of carts, put all the pit equipment on them, and pull the train to the field. This process would require one person driving the golf cart and a few parents making sure that the percussion equipment didn’t fall off of them. In the past three years, due to the growth of marching bands in the United States, the pit percussion companies have been making keyboards with the big 8 inch wheels on them so they could be wheeled onto the field. Since all of our keyboards (vibraphone, marimbas, and xylophones) have big wheels since we just purchased them in the past three years, they can easily be moved around without a cart. The timpani drums and small pit equipment is another story. Pulling the old piano cart from the “Piano Lesson” show with the timpani on it is a nightmare. The small pit equipment is also difficult to move. It seems, having a golf cart pulling two carts connected together would make sense, and make it easier for parents to get this stuff to the field. However, after talking to the Long Island band directors at the date selection meeting yesterday (Nov. 29) I am now changing my mind. They pretty much said that there is no use for the golf carts, that they only use them out of tradition and that the parents groups are attached to them. A few band directors said that when they break down they will try not to replace them. Copiague doesn’t use a golf cart. They pull these new carts, from a company called Jarvis, that have 8 and 9 inch wheels on them and are extremely easy for one person to pull a full set of timpani or percussion. The band director said that the golf cart is not necessary any more and becomes more of a problem with trailer insurance, storage, getting the cart to work each year, charging it up, and getting it to shows. He also said that the pit kids pull the two Jarvis Carts onto the field and leave the one with the timpani on it right in place. Of course, the golf cart looks “cool.” In any case, we are still talking about whether to get a cart or not and will do what we think is best. As a side note, at every post contest meeting the judges always comment on how we have the most parents pulling our stuff onto the field and in cheering in the stands, With the purchase of these new carts, which I already have in the budget, we will only need about 10 parents per show to get the pit onto the field. Remember, we are not using the huge speakers and gym equipment this year. We are just doing a music and drill show this year. We are going to let our music and marching do the talking!
