The Walt Whitman High School Marching Band is back on the turf getting ready for the 2023 Fall competition season. Band Camp started at the high school on August 7th and wraps up on Sunday, August 13th with the Parent Showcase at 4 pm. Competition begins in September so this dedicated group has to work throughout the summer to get ready. They started learning the music for this year’s show back in July, and Band Camp allows them to learn Drill - the steps and positions that make up the show - and put everything together.
The program for this year is called “Wanted,” and Band Director Greg Modelewski is using the music to tell a story and have a little fun. “It’s a Western theme about a bank robbery,” explained Mr. Modelewski. “We've dedicated two of our Color Guard members to being characters. One is the outlaw that steals from the bank in the beginning. And one is the sheriff that pursues the outlaw throughout the four movements.” Even the band gets in on the act, playing the company role, trying to help the sheriff find the outlaw.
This year’s program will also have a percussion feature to highlight the marching band’s championship percussion ensemble. Walt Whitman took First Place in the USBands Indoor Percussion Championships in April 2023.
With 66 members, this year’s marching band is the largest the high school has seen since 2015. Twenty-five new musicians joined this year, and that includes students from Stimson Middle School. Members of Color Guard are also part of the marching band. They’re the performers who use choreography, flags, rifles, sabres and props on the field to help tell the story. “We have almost a completely new Color Guard this year,” said Mr. Modelewski. “Eight members of last year’s Guard graduated in June, and we have seven new members this year. So we're almost at the number we were last year, but we have to meet the needs and experience of the new members.”
A week of long days (9am to 9pm) in hot weather with lots of repetitive hard work ends on Sunday, August 13th with the highly-anticipated Parent Showcase at 4 pm at the Whitman turf field. Family, friends and fans get their first look at what the competition show is going to look and sound like. We wish the Walt Whitman Marching Band the best of luck as they head into this year’s competition season! Eyes with Pride!!!
Band Director Greg Modelewski helps keep time and use music to tell the story of 'Wanted.'
Marching Band members are hard at work over the summer but still leave room for fun!