Marching Band Festival

Entertains Packed Stadium

It was not the rumbling of thunder that neighbors in the area of Newtown High School may have heard Friday night, rather it was the Sixth Annual Joseph P. Grasso Marching Band Festival where ten bands from Connecticut and New York gathered, nine of them to compete.

Drums and horns could be heard from a distance as could cheers from the packed Blue & Gold Sport Stadium as the high school bands performed for the crowd and judges in the Musical Arts Conference.

As hosts for the evening, the Newtown High School Marching Band played an exhibition performance. This year’s band production is entitled, “Jazz – Kenton Style.” The musical selections are taken from the Stan Kenton Orchestra and the Rob McConnell Boss Brass and include Mr McConnell’s T.O., Hank Levy’s Pegasus and Malaguena by Ernesto Leucona from the Kenton Orchestra.

The 130 strong Nighthawk Marching Band are led by drum majors Sarah Adams-Shepherd, Aileen Nosal, and Sheila O’Connor.

“It was great. Everything went really well,” James Dumas, NHS Band Director said. “It couldn’t have been a better weather night,”

The band is playing in a new conference this year – Musical Arts Conference. MAC was created in the spring. Six judges review each band looking at various aspects of a marching band from the mood being conveyed to the general effect of a performance to how united the band is to how drills are being executed. Bands are placed in different classes based on their size.

“It is run by directors rather than an association,” Mr Dumas said. “Everything is always adjusted in the best interest of the kids.”

Bands that performed in this year’s festival include: Class II – Bethel High School under the direction of Scott Smith and Jonathan Law High School under the direction of Paul Marino; Class III – Danbury High School under the direction of Gary Ruggiero, Onteora High School (New York) under the direction of Steven Murphy, and Mahopac High School; Class IV – Shelton High School under the direction of Donald K. Ramia; Class V – Norwalk High School, Masuk High School under the direction of Thomas Miner, and Arlington High School (New York) under the direction of Rich Guillen.

The winners were Class II - Jonathan Law High School, Class III – Danbury High School, Class IV – Shelton High School and Class V – Norwalk High School.

“They did really well,” Elaine Sullivan, band parent said. “The festival went very well. Everything went very smoothly. The bands put on good performances.”

The Newtown High School Band Parents sponsored and organized the festival. The festival is named in honor of Joseph P. Grasso, former director of music for the Newtown School District. Mr Grasso founded the band program in 1960. He retired in 1992 after 32 years of teaching.

The Newtown High School Markettes performed during intermission.