FAIRLEA- The Greenbrier East Spartan band just recently returned from a school trip that has been etched in their minds for the rest of their lives, a trip to Hawaii, the second time the school band has ventured to the Aloha State.
The band did a combined performance on the dock of the USS Missouri at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor with the members of the other bands from West Virginia of “It is Well with My Soul”. The two other bands were from Hannan High School and North Marion High School.
But that was just the beginning of the experience of a lifetime.
“We had our own feature performance of music from our field show titled “Echoes of Valor-A Tribute to the Veterans of World War Two” on the dock of the Missouri,” director Jim Allder said.
“Christian Montgomery, one of our Drum Majors, was selected to give a five-minute speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade. He was the only student given this opportunity out of all the participants, and he did an amazing job,” exclaimed a proud Allder.
The Spartans also performed as part of the mass band, made up of all the groups participating in the parade, for the Opening Ceremony of the Memorial Parade and not only did they perform extremely well, but they also got a plethora of compliments from others in attendance.
“We were a crowd favorite in the Memorial Parade, receiving many compliments about our performance as well as our attire, with the musicians wearing all white, reminiscent of naval uniforms, and our color guard members wearing 1940s style dresses,” Allder said.
“Each member also wore a custom dog tag with the name and rank of a sailor who had been on the USS West Virginia during the attack. Our parade music was an original march written by WV composer and arranger (and Eastern Greenbrier Middle School Band Director) Brian Carr,” he added.
But the trip wasn’t all about just music and performing. The Spartans also had the opportunity to explore some new locations such as a bus tour of the island of Oahu, visit the Dole Plantation, spend a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and visit beaches, volcanoes, and other amazing locations.
To put it plain and simple, the band staff and the members, were impacted by the trip.
“This was the second time that I have taken the band to Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor event. I would rank both of these trips as some of the most memorable and impactful trips I’ve had the pleasure of taking with the band. As for the students, I would say that this trip was an amazing, positively life changing experience beyond anything else they have done with the band,” Alder explained.
With time limited for practice time prior to leaving, the band members were left to tune up a lot on their own time, something that really impressed their leader.
“One thing that I learned about this group is that they have grown so much in grit and determination this fall. Our rehearsal schedule to prepare for these performances was very limited with the football season going into playoffs and Thanksgiving break happening, so it was really up to the kids to take it upon themselves to make sure they were prepared. They exceeded my expectations and put on some amazing performances, making them a standout group at this prestigious event.”
After the successful performances and the admiration they received from their peers, the Spartan band has gained even more confidence for every show they will put on here at home.
“Knowing that they can go and perform at an excellent level on a world stage certainly boosts their own self-image and kind of raises the bar of what is possible for a band from West Virginia,” Allder stated.
And as much fun as being in the sunshine in a new place was for all involved, returning to the hills and mountains of West Virginia wasn’t too bad after all, even if the temperature was a tad bit cooler.
“I’ll speak for myself here and say that I loved Hawaii and could definitely spend more time there. But when we knew it was the end of the trip, I think we were all looking forward to returning home to be back with our families here in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley. To be honest, the cold was a bit shocking after a week of sunny 85° days,” Allder concluded.
