The marching band is headed to their last performance at Cedar Point, an amusement park near Cleveland on May 5 and 6. They will be showing off their skills by performing two songs. 

 According to senior Jenna Marotti, the marching band was supposed to go to Disneyland last year but it wasn’t able to happen. “It got canceled because of COVID,” Jenna said. A lack of funds for a Disney trip made it impossible to pull off this year so the band is headed to Cedar Point. There they are going to show off two songs they prepared and get judged by professional musicians. Their work will be critiqued so they can learn what mistakes they are making to get better in their musical careers.

“I’m really excited to go,” trumpet player Marotti said. This will be the first trip the marching band has been on for many years. She is also very excited for it to be in her senior year to end it with great memories.

Senior drum major Caden Murray is excited for his last hurrah with the rest of the marching band too. “I’m excited though, it’s kinda like the last hurrah with all the band people before I graduate,” Caden said. He is not a big fan of roller coasters, so he’s more excited for the music. “Listening to all the music that is being played at Cedar Point,” Caden said. “I think the music will be really good, it will be fun to play with everybody again.” 

Freshman saxophone player Izzy Giesz cannot wait for the trip. “I’m excited for the Cedar Point trip,” Izzy Giesz said. “I’m really hoping it’s gonna be nice weather.” Izzy is really enthusiastic about every aspect of the trip. “The show, everything basically,” Izzy said.

Marching band is extremely special to Jenna for many reasons. “I’ve always wanted to do it since I was younger, that’s how my parents met,” Jenna said. “They were both trumpet players, my grandpa was a brass player, we’ve always been a music family.” From the start of it to now, marching band has been an important factor of Jenna’s life. “When I was little I would see parades and say ‘that’s gonna be me one day’,” Jenna said. Jenna is going to college for engineering but hopes to continue marching band in college. 

Caden used to play a lot of sports but there was always something missing. Then his eighth grade year he joined the marching band and he finally found his place. “I’d say it was the first thing I could do outside of sports that gave me confidence in anything I could do,” Caden said. “Finding something that I actually enjoyed on my own and could excel at was nice.”

Marching band is like Izzy’s home away from home. “Marching band has basically made like my entire personality at this point,” Izzy said. “It’s basically just one big family and to not be able to do marching band, it would suck.” It’s a place full of caring people and a place where she can express herself. She doesn’t have just friends there, but family too. 

On May 5th they will perform two songs for the last time all together: Mount Everest by Rossano Galante, and Venom by Randall Standridge. Trips like these are important for kids who participate in performing arts. It’s the last time they can be around all their friends before school ends, summer starts, and some say goodbye to go to colleges far away.