On Centre: Bald Eagle Area

Hard work pays off as band heads to Big Apple

Chris Rosenblum

Tourists in Manhattan often walk down Fifth Avenue. But few do so in the middle of the street — and live to tell about it.

Members of the Bald Eagle Area marching band probably will share their stroll in vivid detail with their grandchildren.

In the 90th annual New York City Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, the students marched almost three miles of the boulevard, playing a medley of patriotic songs for the crowds lining the sidewalks.

Their performance capped a memorable three days in the Big Apple. While visiting, band members went on a harbor dinner cruise, checked out a landmark of their choice and ate breakfast at Planet Hollywood, where they listened to former New York City Fire Chief Dan Daly’s inspirational speech about the 9/11 attacks.

In full uniform, they even posed for a group photo in Times Square — not your usual yearbook shot.

From the sound of it, the trip was worth every minute spent preparing.

All last summer, the Bald Eagle Area Music Boosters raised money with a spaghetti dinner, a concert and T-shirt and barbecue sales. Donations also came from local businesses and organizations, including the Milesburg United Methodist Church, Clarence Women of the Moose Chapter No. 2344, Cross Radiator and Air Conditioning in Milesburg, Hall’s IGA in Snow Shoe, Port Matilda Elementary School, Port Matilda borough, Snow Shoe Lions Club, the VFW Home Assistance Inc. in Howard and the Young Democratic Club of Clarence.

But paying for the adventure wasn’t the only challenge.

To look and sound its best in New York, the band rehearsed all fall, three times a week, plus Saturdays. Before a single note at the weekend practices, members stretched and walked laps for at least 45 minutes, warming up for the training ahead.

Then came the fine-tuning, the perfecting of their medley, drum cadences, horn angles and marching steps. The band front learned a new routine involving red, white and blue banners.

It all paid off on Fifth Avenue, when small-town musicians shined in the big city.

“The dedication and intensity that the band members had during practices was quite impressive for a group of students ranging in ages from 11 to 18,” band director Kelli Long said in a news release. “We were all so excited for the opportunity to honor our veterans in this capacity.”

Chris Rosenblum writes a weekly column about happenings in the Bald Eagle area. Send him news at crosenbl@centredaily.com or call 231-4620.

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