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04/26/2016 12:00 AMThe East Haven High School Co-Op Marching Band had a once-in-a-lifetime experience last weekend as 48 members of the 55-student band traveled to Walt Disney World in Florida to perform in the Electric Light Parade on April 23.
“It was excellent, just amazing—the kids sounded fantastic,” said Director Matt Laudano. “They were so excited and pumped with adrenaline.”
Laudano noted that there were 40,000 to 50,000 people watching the parade, which stepped off at 8:30 p.m. and traveled down Disney World’s Main Street toward Cinderella’s castle. The band did not only march in the parade, they led it with a performance medley of Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart” and “Frozen Heart” from Disney’s Frozen.
“It was quick, but one of most exciting things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” said Zach Ganz, a freshman band member who plays the clarinet. “We were standing behind the gates and they open and everyone’s eyes are on you and you just start playing. Before you realize what was going on, it was over.”
The marching band, which travels to Florida every four years, submitted an audition tape and was selected as the leader of the parade. There were two other high school bands performing, as well as Disney characters and other entertainment.
“There are more than a million lights in the parade and a whole bunch of floats,” said Laudano. “We practiced once a week for six weeks leading up to the trip, but we were really so prepared from our hard work during marching band season that they picked it back up very quickly.”
The marching band co-op had a successful 2015 season and Laudano was excited to celebrate the band’s accomplishments with the trip. In addition to the performance, the students spent lots of time exploring the parks.
“We had at least 10 or 15 kids who’d never been to Disney before, so it was quite an experience,” said Laudano. “Everyone is so excited, but so exhausted as we are up at 8 a.m. and not in bed until 11 p.m. since we’re exploring parks and having fun. You don’t get to go to Disney with 50 of your best friends very often, so to be here with your friends is something you can’t replace. It’s a memory they’ll have forever.”
The group traveled to Florida on April 21 and returned on April 25 after spending their final day in Animal Kingdom. This year also marked the first year as a band co-op with eight members from North Branford High School. NBHS’s band director, Katie Trainer, was a chaperone, along with Maryann Bucci, who is the colorguard director at EHHS, and several parent chaperones.
In addition to the high school musicians, there were some band members from East Haven Academy and Melillo Middle School. All of the students who attended the trip spent a lot of time fundraising, which is a big part of being a band member.
The EHHS Marching Band Co-Op will unveil its newly redesigned band trailer on Saturday, April 30. The state championship rings will be presented to the 2014 band that day, as well. There will be a clothing and home goods drive on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the high school.
“This trip and this performance were the icing on the cake after such a fantastic marching band season,” said Laudano. “The co-op worked so well in first season and we are already looking forward to starting again in a few weeks for next year’s show.”