Three Village Patriots March to Success

Emily Winston, Arts & Entertainment Editor

 

The Three Village Patriot Marching Band participated in the 52nd annual Newsday Marching Band Festival on October 16, 2014. The three-day festival included over forty high school marching bands from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The Patriot band was comprised of ninth through twelfth graders from Murphy and Gelinas Junior High Schools and Ward Melville High School. The Patriots performed on the third and final night of the event. The musicians clad in their new green and gold uniforms and topped by white plumed caps, created formations in choreographed step synchronization. The hours of rehearsals that began in August and took place after school during the fall months paid off as the Patriots marched their way to a grand performance.

Each year’s performance is unique and this year’s was no exception. This year, the festival was held at The Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale, rather than at Hofstra University Stadium where the event has been held in the past. A dinner before the performance allowed members to reminisce about previous festivals. The excitement of the night created an energy that buzzed throughout the group. Junior Hanna Bliska explains, “The most exciting part is definitely right before we head out onto the field. There are a couple of minutes of anticipation right after Mr Hayes and Mrs. G leave us, right before we go on, where everyone is really excited and nervous, wondering how we will do. But the amazing feeling after is hard to match!” Drum majors Marvin Lee, Allie Wallace, and Jack Tanzi conducted their fellow peers while half a dozen twirlers accentuated the movements of the ensemble. Marvin Lee reveals that, “my favorite part about the festival has to be the people- my friends, the members of the band- and the atmosphere.” Although “it’s hard to describe in words,” he believes that when those criteria are met, “it creates this synergistic effect.”

The Three Village Patriot Marching Band will be performing at home football games, the electric light parade in December, and at Disney in the spring.

For those of you who missed the on-field performance last week, check out: http://www.newsday.com/services/programs/marching-bands/three-village-patriot-marching-band-newsday-marching-band-festival-1.9513625