The CHS Marching Band took to the field last week to offer a sneak preview of its 2015 season show, “Bound.” The show incorporates composition, music, dance, instrumentation, and choreography to explore the boundaries of love, friendship, and the ties that connect us to each other.
Marching band and CHS bands director Peter Bauer introduced the show, along with his Assistant Director, Kaitlyn Walker, music teacher at South Orange Middle School, percussion coordinator Matthew Whaley, and color guard coordinator Debbie Yaniga. Student sections are led by Hannah Buckner and Maya Martinez, woodwinds; Kayla Shuster, high brass; Harry Gordon and Charlotte Steiner, low brass; John Meusel, drumline; Nicole Schwartzbard, front ensemble; Erica DiScala and Phillip Matos, color guard. This year’s drum major is Jeremy Payano.
The show begins dramatically and unexpectedly. Listeners, accustomed to seeing the student director lead the band onto the field, instead have to look for CHS junior Jeremy Payano, who emerges from the group as it takes the field and slowly walks through them, weighted down by a chain draped across his shoulders. The accompanying musical bars evoke wind, or perhaps a storm. As Payano crosses into full view across center field and ascends the stairs to conduct, he shakes off and frees himself from the chain, turning to first salute the audience and then to indicate to his band that he is ready to lead. They are ready to follow.
The student musicians, with color guard members interspersed between them, walk backward, forward, and sideways while playing, having already committed moves and music to memory that will make up the 8-minute show that encompasses 3 pieces of music and nearly sixty sets of drill and choreography.
Students learned the movements and music throughout Band Camp, which saw them at CHS for up to thirteen hours per day rehearsing in the late August heat and sun.
The band debuts its show at halftime at the Columbia Football home opener on Friday, September 11 on the Lynn V. Profeta Field at the Underhill Sports Comples. Game time is 7 pm but the evening starts with a CHS and Seton Hall Prep shared commemoration of September 11 on the field at 6:45 sharp. See you there!
Cougar Joe was at the 30-year reunion of the class of 1946, and still lives at CHS. He’ll be reporting regularly from CHS this year about news and events.
