Photo by: Alexis Neenan
By: Reilly Buselli
Last Friday, September 19, the Wallenpaupack marching band had the pleasure of hosting the middle school band students during the football game. Each participating member of the middle school band was paired with a marching band member of the same instrument. For the night, each high schooler would act as a mentor for this student—teaching them how to improve on their instrument, how to march, and teaching them songs that the band plays throughout the game.
This is a program that has been running since 2014, and. it has been a terrific way to encourage the middle schoolers to join marching band when they reach high school, while also showing them what hard work and dedication to their instrument may look like in the future. The night is special to our community because the middle school students get an opportunity to experience the Friday night football games from a brand-new perspective, and they gain a better understanding of the community that marching band is and all they have to offer. It is very meaningful to watch students become inspired as middle schoolers in the program and then become the high school mentors years later. High school band director Mr. Warner emphasizes how well the program builds a sense of community between students grades six through twelve, and how it publicly recognizes the hard work and dedication of all the band members. This is a night that reminds us how music can bring people together and create long lasting connections across all ages.
