On a recent sunny morning, a group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders armed with drums, trumpets, flutes and other band instruments gathered in front of Stissing Mountain high school for one final rehearsal before becoming the school’s first junior high band to march alone – without their senior high peers – at Milan’s Memorial Day parade on May 28.
“Pay attention!” band director Erin Marlow shouted good-naturedly, blowing a police whistle for good measure. “Remember, small steps on the inside of a turn, big steps on the outside! Keep your eyes on the drum majors!”
And off the students went, dutifully marching down the length of the field and looping back, playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” as their sheet music occasionally took flight in the morning breeze.
Memorial Day commemorations typically add up to a busy weekend for the in-demand Stissing Mountain marching band, which usually performs in no fewer than three local parades – in Stanford, Pine Plains and Milan.
It was a feat of endurance for both the student musicians and the parents and teachers tasked with getting them from one parade to the next. So sixth grade band director Carla Newsome came up with the idea of breaking responsibilities in two: while the senior marching band will still perform in Stanford and Pine Plains, the junior high students will handle the Milan parade entirely on their own.
For many of the roughly 50 junior musicians, Milan will mark their first time marching as part of an ensemble. Newsome, who also runs the music program at Seymour Smith intermediate learning center, said after the difficult years of Covid, when many kids learned their instruments via remote, she knew her students would jump at the chance to perform in person.
“Our students are willing to try anything,” she said with evident pride. “Even playing an instrument and marching at the same time.”
With help from chorus teacher Alec Sisco, Newsome and Marlow selected music, discussed parade details with officials in Milan, juggled bus assignments, coordinated rehearsal schedules and ordered band gear.
“The logistics were challenging,” Marlow admitted. “We had to get creative. Some of our percussionists are so small that we had to take a hacksaw and trim the drum harnesses.”
Although the junior high students have been rehearsing the music for weeks, they’ve only had two times to practice marching in formation.
“I’m nervous but excited,” said eighth grader Daniel Leach, a tall and lanky trombonist who towers above many of his peers from his position in the first row. “I have to be careful about the size of my step so the smaller kids can keep up.”
Braelin Paraszti, a sixth grader who plays snare drum, said she wasn’t nervous about the parade, but conceded the drum could sometimes hurt. “It gets heavy having to carry it,” she said.
Paraszti, Leach, and their bandmates will assemble at 10:45 a.m. at the high school on May 28 and board two buses to Milan in time for the noon parade.
Teachers Marlow and Newsome said the Milan parade is the perfect introduction to marching. “Luckily there are no hills in Milan, like in Stanfordville,” said Marlowe.
Still, as rehearsal came to an end, the teachers reminded students to wear proper shoes for what will be a half-mile march. “If I see Crocs, you’re going to be walking barefoot the whole parade!” Marlow said.
Later that day, members of the senior high school marching band gathered inside to rehearse for their own Memorial Day performances in the May 29 Stanford and Pine Plains parades. They’ve had several weeks of outdoor practice, perfecting straight lines and turns, keeping step with the drum cadences and following the lead of the drum majors.
The band knows their music inside out: eight patriotic songs, including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and “Stars and Stripes Forever,” as well as the national anthem.
There are more than 50 students in the senior high band this year. Marlow says at least 90% of the band members stick with music through their entire high school experience.
“We’ve built a family in the music department: the kids travel in packs and help each other.” A majority of students are in both chorus and band; many volunteer to show Seymour Smith third graders their band instruments, encouraging them to sign up for the music program the following year.
Many band members are eager to perform solos. When an abundance of trumpeters volunteered to play taps during the parade remembrances, “the students decided to play rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to do it,” Marlow said. “There were no hard feelings.”
On Memorial Day, the high school band will take two buses to Stanford, one of them filled exclusively with percussionists and their instruments. Step off from Grange Hall is at 9 a.m. sharp. Afterwards, the students are bused directly to the Pine Plains Firehouse for the 10:30 a.m. parade. “We’ll have just enough time to catch our breath,” Marlowe said.
The only performers in all three parades are the drum majors: 10th grade brass players Madison Rego and Eliza Essery, who conduct the marchers using their arms and the long, baton-like maces that symbolize their authority.
“Being a drum major requires both musicality and leadership skills,” Marlow said. “It’s a big responsibility. They have to be able to take over the class if I’m ever gone.” Essery said she loves her position, and Rego agreed, adding, “The best thing about it is that I’m in charge.”
Both Newsome and Marlow welcome the chance for the bands to be heard by the community. “Performance opportunities are important, and the Memorial Day parade is a great chance for the community to get to know the students and find out about our music program,” Marlow said. “We’re grounded in tradition, but we continue to evolve.”