Marching band, varsity kickline, and color guard gathered at Mitchel Field Athletic Complex to perform at the 60th Newsday Marching Band Festival on Oct. 22. The festival is hosted for over 30 schools and takes place over three consecutive nights.
LHS was scheduled to perform third-to-last, allowing the band to enjoy the performances from other schools. The LHS Marching Band performance featured several pieces: “25 or 6 to 4,” “Boogie Wonderland,” and “Celebration.” These songs were selected from a number of different references, including the renowned bands Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool and the Gang. For the band’s last song, “Celebration,” it was joined by the kickline, featuring a dance performance. “Participating in the Newsday Marching Band Festival is unlike any performance I have ever done,” explained drumline captain Timothy Neri. “It is so exciting when you step onto the field and see all the people watching you,” he added.
After all the bands had performed, every school lined up onto the field to play “America, the Beautiful,” a long-lasting tradition of the festival; the piece was conducted by representatives of the festival, alongside each school band’s drum major.
Once the traditional performance was over, the LHS band was greeted with congratulatory remarks from previous LHS band director, Brian White. “I couldn’t have been prouder. [They] represented everything we’ve worked for so well and it really brought a little tear to my eye,” White said.
Drum major Gianna Longo expressed delight with the band’s performance: “I was so proud of everyone. We had a lot to prepare. We had after-school rehearsals from 5:00pm to 7:30pm once a week, and those were primarily for learning the drill pattern, which is how we walk on the field and change formations. Then, in school, we learned the music and memorized it in class. We [also] had alternating days where we would go outside on the field and practice the show.”
Weeks prior to the festival, the marching band had a total of five evening practices with one in-school clinic. During the in-school clinic, the symphonic band, wind ensemble, and drumline took turns rehearsing with different instructors, including LHS band director Zachary Rifkind, South Middle School band director Edward Leone, and professional drummer Steven Blutman. The symphonic band and wind ensemble alternated having sessions with Rifkind and Leone, while the drumline trained with just Leone. “The drumline prepared by locking in with each other, so we would be together and have a stronger connection on the field,” Neri explained.
Rather than a competition, the Newsday Marching Band Festival is a celebration of music, dedication, and community, highlighting the achievement of students and teachers who pour out their time, energy, and passion into creating something extraordinary. For everyone involved each year, the festival is an experience that honors the hard work, spirit, and talent of Long Island’s young musicians.“Just enjoy it. It’s really fun, and truly surreal. Participating at a show in front of a thousand spectators is something you only get to experience once or twice in your life,” Longo mused.
