NHHS Symphonic Band wraps up another successful marching season

Zach Jackson, Reporter

 

    Every year the North Harford High School Symphonic Band gets together and practices over the summer to prepare for a marching band show at football games and the annual Harford County Public Schools high school band showcase to kick off the fall season. Lead by music department director Mr. John Wojciechowski, the band keeps on marching.

     With the theme “Beatlesmania,” the band played songs off of famous Beatles albums such as Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road, Help!, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. Along with the songs, drum majors dressed up in Sgt. Pepper costumes and percussionist put The Beatles logo on their drums. 

     After football season is over, the band than continues to play a showcase for all other Harford County Public School high school bands to show off their musical and marching ability. 

Wojciechowski says, “I think this year was probably the best season we had so far! Between the combination of music we did and the level of marching we did it was probably the toughest show we’ve had since I’ve been at North Harford.”  He added that this was also the first time in a long time that the marching band was out on the field during half time and did their show all from memorization. “I’m very proud of the whole band for putting in all the effort they could since August first, it really showed out during the homecoming football game, our showcase, and the last few football games we’ve played.”

     Senior percussionist Garrett Ulmer says, “I think the season went really well, we put in our best effort throughout the entire season improving throughout everything, I think we really made a statement at showcase showing other schools that we really are one of the top bands in the county.”  Ulmer said his favorite song was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band and his favorite memory out of his entire time in being in symphonic band had to be his “final remarks at the showcase and last few football games this year playing one last show for an enormous group of people with the whole band and all my friends.”

     Junior saxophonist Laurel Brown said based on all the years she’s been in marching band, this year’s show was definitely the most successful. “The band memorized the music and performed without flip folders which is pretty impressive. We also had a more intricate show this year with a lot of visuals that looked pretty awesome.”  Brown said her favorite song was Magical Mystery Tour and her favorite memory was the homecoming game since “it was just so amazing to see our school come together for a moment and race down to the field when we won by a point and everybody sang and played the Fight Song together. It was truly amazing to see everyone put aside their differences and unite to celebrate our victory.”

     If you’d like to catch the symphonic band live in action, see them at the Bel Air Winter Parade on December 1, 2019, the White Marsh Holiday Parade on December 7, 2019, or the North Harford Winter Concert on December 18, 2019.