Bremen band ready for Disney
6-5
By Sarah Middaugh
Correspondent
BREMEN � For the first time, the Bremen High School marching band will participate in �Magic Music Days� at Walt Disney World this fall.
As part of the event, band members will march in the Thanksgiving Day parade at the Magic Kingdom. They will then travel to the other parks of Disney World to participate in a full schedule of events.
Kathy Spangler, director of bands, says the upcoming trip will be a great first-time experience for the students.
�I�ve participated there before and the kids always have a great time. The people at Disney take good care of you and the parade is run very smoothly,� said Spangler.
In order to cover the expenses of the trip, the band has planned a variety of fund-raisers. The students have already started to raise money by selling scratch cards and raffle tickets at the annual Fish Fry. In addition, the band boosters helped to organize the fund-raisers for the kids.
Paula Ryan, president of band boosters, said the boosters have played a major role in the planning process.
�The boosters have planned all the fund-raising activities and tried to get more parents involved,� said Ryan.
Matthew VanSoest, a fifth year member of the marching band, feels the trip to Florida will serve dual purposes.
�The upcoming trip will show the community and the state of Indiana that the Bremen marching band is out there. It will also be a fun experience for everyone, especially since we�ll be marching in a televised parade,� said VanSoest.
Preparations for the upcoming trip include marching in parades associated with the Bremen Firemen�s Festival, the Ethnic Festival in South Bend, and the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth.
�By the time we go on the trip, the kids will have already performed in three parades, and completed a season of marching band. With a few extra rehearsals in November, we should be ready to go,� said Spangler.
As a change for next fall, they have enlisted the help of a full marching band staff, said Spangler. They have hired a percussion instructor, a brass instructor, and a guard director. In addition, a professional music arranger will write the music, and a drill writer will work on drill.
�The music and drill will be written to our instrumentation as well as our strengths and weaknesses. We have also put together a budget which has been voted on and approved by the band boosters,� said Spangler. �It is necessary to make the changes in order for us to grow; however, the changes will happen over time.�
Freshman Katie Taylor feels her time in band has instilled a deep appreciation for the world of music.
�The experience itself is amazing,� said Taylor. �It�s the thrill of competitions and the love for music that keeps bringing me back.�
For the future, Spangler wishes to increase the number of students and build the level of musicianship.
�Building the program and increasing community support is an important goal right now,� said Spangler. �We are working on increasing and maintaining interest in the younger grades, while increasing our level of musicianship and broadening our horizons.�
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
