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Marching bands step out in York, Adams counties


Some will be traveling to different states to perform and sightsee.

The area’s high school marching and pep bands are flying high this year, both literally and figuratively.

Some, like Dallastown, Dover, Susquehannock and William Penn, will be traveling to different states to sightsee and perform.

Others are letting their music take us away with selections such as "Fly Me to the Moon," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and themes from the many "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" films.

Eastern is staying home this year to celebrate two firsts -- hosting a band competition and an alumni performance -- while sporting its first new uniforms in two decades.

Read on to learn more about high school marching and pep bands performing in your area.

Bermudian Springs

Director: Sarah Throckmorton

Assistants: Alyssa Kennedy, Chris Boyer and Megan Jacobs

Musicians: 19

Band front: 3

Drum majors: Hope Mohring and Miranda Snelbecker

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "The Sounds of Appalachia" featuring selections from Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and "The Hymn of Axciom" by Vienna Teng

Biglerville

Director: Jamie Cope

Assistant: Georgia Hollabaugh

Musicians: 30

Band front: 6

Drum majors: Jordan Woodward and Patrick Cogliano

Tournament membership: Tournament of Bands

Show: "Seasons," featuring "Meridian" by Ola Gjeilo, "Sun Dance" by Frank Ticheli, "North Country" by Ola Gjeilo and "Ride" by Sam Hazo.

Special notes: TOB chapter champion 2004, 2006-2013; Atlantic Coast Champion 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015

Central York

Director: James Martini

Assistants: Kim Hoke, Tom Kauffman, Zach Wilt, Andrea Shaffer, Joy Shaffer, Alysha Staggers and Ryan Mellon

Musicians: 174

Band front: 13

Drum majors: Jackson Kollasch and Catalina Feitritzer

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Piano Man - Music of Billy Joel" featuring "Piano Man," "Movin’ Out," "You May Be Right," "New York State of Mind," "Root Beer Rag," "Only the Good Die Young" and "It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me"

Special notes: Named to Best Communities in America for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants for the 10th consecutive year.

Dallastown Area

Director: James Dougert

Assistants: Leah McComas, David Fishel, Sean McComas, Christopher Scheetz, JR Sallisky, and Lauren Whitsel

Musicians: 100

Band front: 19

Drum majors: Rebecca Schweitzer, Katelyn Herrin and Lizzie Eckert

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Super Heroes," with selections highlighting themes from Batman, the Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman and Superman

Special notes: Performs at all home and away football games, local parades and area field show exhibitions. The school music department this winter will visit Florida and Walt Disney World.

Delone Catholic

Director: Brian Yealy

Assistants: Lynn Yealy, Dan Bair, Jen Farrell, Sylvia Botts, Rachel Noel, Josh Vyskocil, Gabriela Tumminello, Jennifer Yealy, Laura Bradley and Brian Prato

Musicians: 29

Band front: 5

Drum major: Nathan Holt

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "iShuffle" including "Can’t Help Falling in Love," "Ah-Ha," "Clarity," "Cheerleader" and "Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In"

Special notes: Frequent Top 10 finisher in the Cavalcade of Bands Independent Open Class

Dover Area

Director: George Bradshaw

Assistants: Seth Keller, Will Nailor, Grant Brown, Mindy Weaver, Lydia Nailor, Kelly Kile, Samantha Roberts, Rich Hildebrand and Kyle Muldoon

Musicians: 125

Band front: 15

Drum majors: Meredith Becker and Mikala Arnold

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Peace, Love and Funk: Music of the 1970's," featuring "Play that Funky Music," "Vehicle," Isn't She Lovely," and "That's the Way I Like It"

Special notes: During Thanksgiving break, will travel to Hawaii to march in the Waikiki Holiday Parade and perform two concerts at Pearl Harbor for the 75th observance of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

Eastern York

Director: Keith Gromis

Assistants: Samantha Petersen, Coreena Boyer, Gywn Isabella, Conner Nafziger and Joe Werner

Musicians: 30

Band front: 9

Drum majors: Tanner Williams and Brayden Danks

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "Requiem: Light Perpetual" - music selected from compositions by Mozart, Faure, Durufle, Berlioz, and Saint-Seans

Special Notes: Hosting first home band competition Oct. 22 and first alumni band performance Oct. 28 during Homecoming. Replaced 20-year-old band uniforms through generous support of band boosters and school district.

Gettysburg

Director: David Conklin

Assistants: Carrie Trax, Jacob Godman and Lisa Black

Musicians: 65

Band front: 6

Drum majors: D.J. Ziegler and Jacob Cisney

Tournament membership: none

Show: "A Pirate's Adventure" (music by Randall Standridge), including "Setting Sail," "Mysteries of the Sea" and "The Battle/Pirate’s Treasure"

Special notes: This year’s closing concert number is "Soul Man."

Hanover

Director: Clay Sattazahn

Assistant: Ellen Roth

Musicians: 20

Band front: 8

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Dance Through the Decades" with the pop hits ""Born To Hand Jive" from the musical "Grease"; "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles; "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5; "Cupid Shuffle"; and a medley of familiar songs by the group "Daft Punk," as performed by the "Pentatonics" vocal group.

Special notes: The purpose of the pep band is to provide musical entertainment for football games, pep rallies, local parades, and other school and civic events. Student Leaders are Christopher Miller, Autumn Brendle, Chloe Brendle, Jenny Feher, Sabrina Hobson, Samantha Bankert and Aleana Williams.

Kennard-Dale

Director: Matthew Barr

Assistants: Barbara Peterson, Molly Swetland, Tench Tillman, Carl Barr, David Silverman, Meghan Garvine, Joseph Harris

Musicians: 61

Band front: 7

Drum majors: Claire Glackin and Victoria Baum

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Stand Up", featuring "March of the Resistance" from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens;" "Blackbird;" and "One Day More" from "Les Miserables"

Littlestown

Director: Adam Bish

Assistants: Kelly Carroll, Joel Collier, Tim Davis, Nick Oaster and Adrienne Sentz

Musicians: 19

Band front: 2

Drum major: Owen Yingling

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show:"Arabian Nights" featuring "Incantation," "Misirlou," "Atmadja," "Caravan," and "A New World Symphony: Movement Three"

Special notes: Band members range from seventh- to 12th-graders

New Oxford

Director: Tim Rohrbaugh

Assistants: Karen Rohrbaugh, Bobby Glass, Chelsea Brown, Chris Arnold, Andy Warntz, Michael Borsiquot, Justin Smith, Alex Crowley, Kayla Starr, Jeffrey Howe, Stephen Wales, Lyla Bowser and Alyssa Kennedy

Musicians: 57

Band front: 10

Drum majors: Joshua Coutts and Ben Durkit

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "Radioactive" featuring "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, "Virus Attack" by Amin Bhatia, "Hymn of Acxiom" by Vienna Teng, and original music composed by Erik Harris and James Boyce

Special notes: Hosting annual "Colonial Classic" band competition Nov. 5 at high school. Seventeen competing bands scheduled to attend in addition to Towson University Marching Band.

Northeastern

Director: Timothy Howell

Assistants: Samantha Strine, John Rau, Zane Ruth, Conner Nafziger, Matthew Rice, Samantha Dellone, Justine Wolf, Shastah Horn, Tierra Price and Sean McComas

Musicians: 51

Band front: 8

Drum major: Ona Sutton

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Star Trek" including themes from "Star Trek Generations," Star Trek Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek Voyager" as well as excerpts from "Star Trek Into Darkness"

Special notes: Will perform at varsity football games, three local band exhibitions and several area parades, including Columbia Street Fair Parade.

Northern

Director: Daryl Balseiro

Assistants: Chad McCartney, Kevin Smith, Underdonk and Chris Pagotto

Musicians: 54

Band front: 13

Drum majors: Josiah Stetler and Michele Arnold

Tournament membership: Tournament of Bands and USBands

Show: "No Strings Attached" featuring "Ice Dance" (from "Edward Scissorhands") by Danny Elfman, "Petrushka" by Igor Stravinsky, "The Breakfast Machine" by Danny Elfman, "Waltz No. 2" by Dmitri Shostakovich and " Symphonie Fantastique" by Hector Berlioz

Special notes: Won first-ever Tournament of Bands Region 6 Championship in 2015 and this fall will compete in Atlantic Coast Championships in Hershey and USBands National Championships in New Jersey. Hosted Carroll Township Police for dinners this summer to show appreciation for local law enforcement.

Red Lion Area

Director: Curtis Crone

Assistants: Ryan Kriebel, Glenn Daniels and Melanie Keagy

Musicians: 100

Band front: 18

Drum majors: Kevin Scheetz, Kira Brandt and Kirsten Deaver

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "Rome," including the selections "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy, "Ka-Battlefield" from Cirque Du Solei, "Letting Go" by James Dooley and "Gladiator" by Hans Zimmer

Special notes: Named to Best Communities in America for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants for five consecutive years. Cavalcade of Bands champions in 2008, 2011 and 2014.

South Western

Director: Bill Kirsch

Assistants: Jon Shue, Kayton Wilson, Joe Mummert, Chris Gunnell, Kevin Wrightstone, Makenzie Wrightstone, Tara Tezik, Dee Hertzog, Justin Smith, and Lindsay Zumbrum

Musicians: 56

Band front: 10

Drum majors: Jana Culp

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands and Tournament of Bands

Show: "From Sea to Shining Sea" based on Frank Sullivan’s "The Four Freedoms"

Special notes: 2012 and 2013 champion of the Cavalcade of Bands Liberty Conference Division A and 2013 champion of Tournament of Bands Chapter VI Group 3A

Spring Grove Area

Director: Kyle Showalter

Assistant: Timothy Bupp

Musicians: 42

Band front: 10

Drum majors: Hunter Eshbach and Jenna Kile

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Avatar"

Special notes: District named one of the Best Communities for Music Education in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the NAMM Foundation.

Susquehannock

Director: Chris Poole

Assistants: James McGarvery, Justin Presley, Karl Steger, Chrissy Drouin, Sarahbeth Dailey, Chalet Harris, Tench Tillman, Brian Harris, Chris Hutton and Alex Drouin

Musicians: 58

Band front: 13

Drum majors: Joe Fair and Aditya Kandala

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "Isolation"

Special notes: Traveling in February to participate in Disney Performing Arts Festival

West Shore

Director: Robert Starrett

Assistants: Eric Graybill, George Clements, Robert Sherretz and Robert Glass

Musicians: 85

Band front: 32

Tournament membership: Tournament of Bands and USBands

Show: "Everest"

Special notes: Second year for the West Shore Marching Band, which combines Cedar Cliff and Red Land bands into one.

West York

Director: Rod Meckley

Assistants: Brett Butler, Greg Kline, Katie Nagel, Marian Noel, Graylyn Serafy, Gwenn Shaffer, David Wales, Michelle Wales and Stephen Wales

Musicians: 63

Band front: 17

Drum major: Alexis Gladfelter

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Travelin’ Band," including the songs "Vehicle," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Walking on Sunshine," "Walk This Way" and "Travelin’ Band"

Special notes: Attending band camp since 1962. Performed for Vice President Joe Biden on his 2012 presidential campaign tour.

William Penn

Director: Kevin Crawmer

Assistants: Laura Baum, Yolanda Beattie and Bryce Kruger

Musicians: 39

Band front: 10

Drum major: Pedro Giron

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Iconic: Influential Women of Rock," featuring "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner, "Hello" by Adel, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin and "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga

Special notes: School music department will travel to Chicago to visit the Museum of Science and Industry, the Garfield Conservatory and the Lincoln Park Zoo as well as perform at the Field Museum and with the Chicago Symphony.

York Catholic

Director: Cecelia Mezza

Assistants: Michael McGinness, Kelly Boose and Susan Blanchard

Band members: 33

Band front: 8

Drum majors: Michael Palmieri and Rachel Kordaz

Tournament membership: Cavalcade of Bands

Show: "In Pursuit" with the pieces "Night Watch, Part 1," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Enter Sandman" and "Cut to the Chase"

York Suburban

Director: Matthew Husler

Assistants: Ashley Markey, Jesse Pitzer, Felicia Rodriguez, Jen Lam, Jared Conway, Josh Lofties and Kasey Bireley

Musicians: 48

Band front: 9

Drum majors: Kiersten Daugherty and Matt Thoman

Tournament membership: none

Show: "Kaleidoscope: A Musical Portrayal of the Colors Red, Blue and Yellow" featuring "Sway" by Michael Buble, "Blues In The Night" by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Harold Arlen