Milford. Connecticut, High School bands connect a community through volunteer service, lifelong friendships, and the love of a good song.

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sk anyone what makes a high school football
By Karen Pasacreta
game, and you just might be surprised by the
answer. It's likely they won't say the sport itself,
but all the pomp that celebrates the circumstance. What's
hangs together, Iaughs together, and dances
a half time for anyway? loud music, twirling, peppy together. As the energy heats up with pop
cheerleaders, a swirling color guard of flags and rifles band LMFAO's "Party Rock" anthem, so do
all to get a rowdy crowd even more pumped up to route the kids. The horn section sways back and
for their team. Those football players work hard and forth in unison, a sea of red shirts dressed for
the pep rally are shufflin', singing infectious
deserve lots of credit, but even they feed off " da noize."
lyrics, dancing, and having a good old time.
Jessica Shearer is all about it, though as "I like the energy," beams Shearer. "It was
!oran's band director she prefers her noise on almost a miracle." But not quite, as she
pitch without ruling out "da fun." "Channel continues to give directions, asking for crisper
your inner goofiness!" she yeils to her band endings until they nail it and get ready to
kids as they practice minutes before their "shufJle in" to the gym for the pep rally. After
season's first pep rally. After an enthusiastic all, perfectionism does have a place in the
renditi.on of the r98os favorite "Safety "pep:'
Dance," Shearer can't help but get swept up.
"Perfectl" She sings back. "I'm feeling a lot of
f; Strive and Thrive
love for you right now." 3 It *rrn't always this way for Shearer.
6'
The band has a motto hanging on a felt I B.li.n. it or not there was a time she
banner in the music room: "One band. F neeaea to recruit kids to play in the band.
l
One side. One love." It's a band family that 3 "It's definitely been an evolution," she
18 Milford Living . Autumn

2. The Law Band marches out for i
performance.
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admits. Shearer started at Foran in zoo4 music, hearing that sweet, sweet note The Foran Band performs in Washington D.C.
',rlth only twenty-nine kids. "That first year after mentoring a kid for months to get at the WIVII memorial.
scme kids didn't even know how to play an there-and the overwhelming sense of
a community partnership comprised of
=strument and I worked with them." Nine different because each member's interests
rears later, she has grown the program to students, teachers, administrators, and are different. You cater to what you have,
sixty-nine kids. It's because band leaders of course, parents. Shearer is actually a he says. A tall, jovial guy whose life is so
grve up countless hours to make their second generation band director. She grew completely woven into Milford's fabric,
programs successful. They hold workshops, up in Massachusetts watching her father he knows everyone and knows what it
teach kids how to play instruments they've direct the East Longmeadow High School takes to make his band successful Law
never heard of, and offer up weeknights band. It's in her blood. mostly focuses on the marching aspect
and weekends to get it right. while Foran's attention is placed primarily
Foran High School principal John Barile A Community Thing on the concert level. Both offer jazz and
is quick to point out Shearer's dedication. Paul Marino grew up in the Milford concert. And though they may be different
'She can often be found long after the community. He went to Jonathan Law, in style-the two face similar challenges
school day or on weekends, working taught at Law, and has been the band with the ebb and flow of program changes.
with students and parents or on her director at Law since r988. He's seen so "My goal year after to year is to just
own preparing for upcoming Iessons many structural changes through the present a balanced program," says Marino.
or performances." This is really no big years, from a large jazzhorn ensemble to -I started with sixteen kids. Now there are
deal to band leaders. It's the love ofthe a huge percussion section. Each year is about fifty." There were more, up to ro8, he
sa15. 5.,, kids have harder demands now.
i: :akes a lot to be a superkid who can do
Kids who make up band... every*J-dng. "Something's got to give."
'. Participate in sports, clubs, volunteer Have atremendous sense of school spirit
work, all in addition to band a Oft en organize band-related activities Unraivering
', Are disciplined, passionate, and hard- outside of school (this year Foran
it takes a huge level of commitment to
working participated in Relay for Life: law
Tendto do well in school organized a coat drive for Hurricane cc band, without a doubt. Some of these
& Have a sense of pride and camaraderie Sandy victims) irjds are playing sports too, or have a heavy
:-omework load, and all add community
20 Mllford Living . lI'inter

4. ::rvice to the mix. Plus, there's bottle practice? "We just accommodate schedules Musical Arts Conference (MAC) in a 7-8 week
:rives, candy drives, selling cookie dough, so each kid who wants to be in the band performance schedule, delivering ro-minute
rolunteer nights at Rita's and Red Robin can," says Marino. shows. Fact: it is widely considered one of
::staurants-all fundraisers that pay f.or Those that do, reap the rewards. Law's the best marching bands in the state. Ioran's
some expenses so each band is able to Marching Band travels all over the tri-state band has its own set of esteemed recogni-
:cmpete and grow musically, in state and area to compete and has won many juried tions. It was asked to play at the World War
:::t. With all this going on, it's only natural competitions. Together with the Color II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Rock
:c ask-where do they find the time to Guard, the group performs through the 'n Roll Hall of Fame, Walt Disney World
:.-: Living 2./

5. in Orlando, and Connecticut quined gauntlets with white
Governor's Mansion. It's these gloves," she says. And then
honors that make a school and there was that white plastic
community proud-and all the hat with red-sequined trim...
hard work worth the trouble. "What teen wants to wear
Band is an actual class in both plastic cowboy hats?" said
schools, and both offer march- Shearer. Strive and thrive is
lng, concert, and jazzband, the school's motto, so things
catering to the instruments the changed, but only modestly.
klds know how to play. Red and blue are the school
"Band is a thing I am really colors. The pants stayed.
:roud to be a part of," says The red sequined hat brim
-arly Burriesci, band president didn't.
a:.d senior at Foran. "I love the Since Jonathan Law has
:-nily environment. You can been around for fifty years,
:: stressed in high school and it's seen a uniform evolution
',',-::en you come to band you that went from skirts for the
,c:,cw that people here care ladies to pants and a more
a: cut you." There is no hier- modernized militaristic feel
=::hy, no bossing each other of the school colors gold
-rund. There's just a genuine and black. Since a marching
: asslon for music. It's like the band historically evolved
:a:rily whose house you'd visit from armies, it ceremonially
ard never want to leave they borrows the look and uses
-,,,-ere that awesome.
the same commands during
Burriesci is a self-taught shows: "Attention!" "Forward
:rombone player who just marchl" Last year's show was
always wanted tobe in a jazz a reference to Stonehenge;
group, so she "picked it up." this year's Dante's Inferno,
J azz b and instruments include a three-part heaven, hell,
trombone, saxophone, trum- pur8atory theme. Hell hath
f
pet, double bass, and clarinet, E no furv...than the effects of
m
her principal instrument. 3 drums with big booming
Burriesci says the skills she i crescendos. Think loud
has acquired through band are h percussion rounded out with
U.
ones she will use her entire ! the subtlety oftriangles and
life. In a lot of ways, band is u symbols. "The bigger the
a diverse group with a wide Law Band Championship photos throughout the years effect on people, the more
variety of interests across spec- powerful the show," says
trum. These are students who embrace op- fooking Good Raci-e- Gomes, junior section leader, drums.
portunity and work hard. There is a sense A band that works well together looks Br.l:s meant to entertain, which
-:,a:-<
of pride and commitment to each school good together, and that means a uniforrr- -:a:.s to the pomp and circumstance.
and most of all, to themselves. "Band kids And they aren't always pretty. Iike lt'her ''-: s ab:ut entertaining the crowd," says
are just good kids," said Marino. "Kids with Shearer first got to Foran, bolero bloi.Lses Si:-::. .So everyone can have fun." And,
great integrity, whether they come here were all the rage. "They whore white a:-: --: ::-::,.e. that means having a good old
with it or learn from it here," adds Shearer. navy pants with a white stripe and rei s: -:.: ::-ebrating the music.@
22 Milford Living . Winter'