photos by Eliza Kuperschmid
Late Sat. evening, the members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band marched onto the turf of famed Metlife Stadium and competed in their final performance of the 2016 season – the US Bands national championships. The band placed sixth out of eight in their division with a score of 93.675. Since as early as June of last school year, band members, leaders, and staff members have been putting in an enormous amount of effort to produce a high-caliber show and last night, their hard work and dedication really showed.
Drum major Christina Lamagna has been a part of the marching band since her freshman year and she felt proud of the band’s hard work this season.
“This season was really a season of firsts for SPF,” said Lamagna. “We attended our first Bands of America competition at the University of Delaware, which allowed us to see and perform with bands that are performing at the highest level in the country.”
This year’s show had a medieval theme and Lamagna expressed how challenging the show was for the group to learn.
“This year’s show was hands down the most difficult that our band has ever put on the field,” said Lamagna. “Seeing it as a culmination of hours and hours of hard work last night was incredible.”
Lamagna reflected on her time in the marching band with pride and is content with how it was concluded.
“For 170 people to feel such overwhelming emotion at once is an unmatched experience, and this last Metlife performance was really the exclamation point at the end of the sentence of my high school marching band career.” Lamagna said.
