Date: Fri 27-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

NHS-Band-Citrus-Bowl

Full Text:

The NHS Band Packs Up An Heads South

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

How do you move 196 Newtown High School Marching Band and Color Guard members

plus all their uniforms, instruments, drums, batons and flags from Newtown,

Ct. to Orlando, Fla.?

"Very carefully," band director Jack Zamary said more than a week ago, as he

made his list and checked it more than twice.

Mr Zamary and the Newtown students were preparing for their long-awaited

December 27-January 1 excursion to Orlando, where they are scheduled to

perform in the Citrus Bowl Parade, Saturday, December 28, at approximately 11

am.

They will also appear at 3 pm in a parade Sunday, December 29, on the streets

of Disney World.

Much as they are looking forward to the Citrus Bowl Parade and Disney gig, Mr

Zamary knows they may be facing their biggest challenge right here, back home

in Newtown. That would be getting ready to go and not forgetting anything.

Leaving nothing to chance, Mr Zamary's final countdown began on a week ago, on

the last day of school.

"We rehearse for two hours Friday. Then at 2 pm after school, we're having a

`Drum Take-Apart Party' where we break down the drum line equipment," he

added.

About 10 band members in the percussion section and "in the pit" (those who

play non-movable instruments like the xylophone) were there on the Newtown

High stage, ready to work on the dismantling and cleaning project, lured by

the promise of pizza.

With amazing speed and dedication, they bent to their tasks, removing lugs,

nuts and rings from the kettle drums and polishing up the cymbals.

"I'm missing a washer, has anyone seen it?" asked Steve Hettenbach, as he

knelt on the floor to remove snare drum rings.

Kurt Berglund, drum line instructor, thought he had an extra one in his tool

box.

Sara Castelhano helped stack the rims that were now ready for painting.

"We need to touch them up," Mr Zamary explained, "because the black paint has

chipped where the kids play on the rims."

Would they sound better after being painted?

"Definitely. And look better too," said Mike Yacker.

As the students worked, Mr Zamary discussed the scheduled for the week prior

to departure. Exactly seven days were left, he said, with Christmas coming in

between.

"Tonight, we hand in all the uniforms, which should already have been cleaned.

That's $50,000 worth of uniforms, so we take careful inventory. They'll be

shipped ahead in special containers," he said.

Monday morning, school will be out, but they'll meet anyway to reassemble the

percussion instruments, he added.

Monday night is a final packing party and then everything is loaded up.

The day after Christmas, Thursday, December 26, the equipment would be driven

by parents from Newtown to Newark Airport at 7:30 am and shipped as container

cargo, ahead of the students, Mr Zamary said.

Everything would be packed extremely carefully, he added, noting that the drum

line alone cost $15,000.

"We're borrowing three sousaphones from the University of Connecticut. They're

brass. Ours are fiberglass and they don't sound as good as brass, so we're

very grateful to them for that," Mr Zamary said.

Instruments First,

Then Kids

Early Friday morning, December 28, the Newtown students will meet at the high

school for a final check-in before departure on their buses, headed for Newark

Airport.

They'll be in the Newtown parking lot early, Mr Zamary added - by 2:30 AM, to

be exact.

"We've got lists of items they must have. Nothing will be left to chance," Mr

Zamary said.

"We're flying out of Newark Friday morning on three planes. It's a two-hour

flight and we want to arrive in time to check into the Airport Marriott, chill

out for a couple of hours, then practice," he said.

He explained that the key advisers and student leaders would be going in the

first wave, to be ready at the other end to help "get the kids situated in

their hotel rooms, with keys etc." and see to other details.

"We've hired buses to be with us from the moment we arrive until we leave New

Year's Day," he said.

Not counting the two performances, the students, their chaperones and Mr

Zamary will have three days and a pass to explore Disney World, Epcot Center

and MGM studios. They may also see Sea World and the NASA facility at the

Kennedy Spacecraft Launch Center.

The students have each raised approximately $1,000 to pay for their trip,

airfare included and a contribution was made from ongoing fund raisers by the

band parents association, as well.

Looking forward to the trip, Mr Zamary's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"At this point I'm excited. Two days ago, if you had asked me how I felt about

this trip, I wouldn't have used exactly that word," Mr Zamary said.

Last minute glitches with the airlines have been ironed out, he said with

relief.

He also commented they were lucky to have a "terrific travel agent working for

us."

Now, if only Steve Hettenbach can find that missing drum nut washer.