Marching band takes on Mt. Everest

Richard Tedesco

The Mineola High School Marching Band is off to its annual summer camp this week to work on a musical program that includes a musical climb up Mt. Everest and surviving an avalanche in the process.

The band members have been practicing the four original musical numbers comprising this year’s routine since May. Their immediate problem is combining their on-field moves with the music in the challenging week-long camp at Camp Kindering in Hopewell Junction, NY.

The camp routine consists of rehearsals that start at 7 a.m. and end in the early evening, with rest periods during the day when the band members can hang out together. 

“Right now they have the music down pretty well,” said Frank Mauriello, who took charge of the band last year after being one of its music instructors for the past seven years.

“Everest: Journey to the top of the World” is a work in four movements by Joseph Sullivan, who composes for the professional Blue Star band and the Drum Corps International.

“There’s a tremendous emphasis on percussion,” Mauriello said.

After the “Base Camp” first movement, “The Climb” in the second movement musically suggests the arduous route up the mountain, with the band’s color guard performing a rope dance. In the third movement, “The Avalanche,” the color guard file through the band, personifying the falling wall of snow with accompanying sound effects.

“The Avalanche is like life. In life, there are obstacles you have to overcome,” Mauriello said.

The final movement, “The Summit,” is intended to symbolize the final triumph over adversity to attain a difficult goal.

Kerri Barnett, going into her junior year this fall, is facing a personal challenge in making the transition to being one of the drum majors leading the band after playing alto sax for the past three years.

“It’s kind of scary. You kind of like run the band,” she said. But she said her fellow band members are “really smart,” and make her job easier because they mesh so well.

“I love how everyone gets along really well. Everyone has this one common goal to succeed,” she said.

That’s what Patrick Patterson, who’s playing melophone for the third year, said makes the camp experience of bringing everything together so rewarding.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” said Patterson, who’s also entering his junior year. “At the first competition, when your work comes together, you accomplish something you didn’t think you could.”

The Mineola band is in its second year in a new competition category based on school enrollment. It came in fifth place last year, only .6 points away from a third-year finish statewide, Mauriello said. The season includes eight marching band competitions, in addition to performances at five home football games.

“These kids’ commitment is off the charts. We go to camp to get that peace of mind. It’s us and the drill and nothing else,” he said. 

Mallory Brady, a junior member of the color guard, said she enjoys the discipline required.

“I like the commitment and how hard we work to pull off an amazing show,” she said.

Soon-to-be senior Daniel Chan said he’s enjoying the switch from playing bass drum to being in the drum line in his third year in the band.

“It’s really cool being in marching band because you get to hang out with your friends,” he said, adding that camp is “hard, but it’s fun.”

She said she’s looking forward to the challenge of portraying the climb and the avalanche in colorful mountain climbing costumes and the meaning behind the routine “about climbing your own personal Everest.”

Sophia Villa, a flute player going into her sophomore year, said she’s excited about her first year at camp.

“It’s nice to know there are other people as enthusiastic as I am about music.”  

Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.

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