Marching Hawks to perform in Washington
The Oppenheim-Ephratah Marching Hawks band has been selected to march in the Independence Day Parade in Washington this summer.
The marching band will be one of 25 chosen nationwide to march down Constitution Avenue, alongside government officials, national military units and floats to represent New York state in the 2006 National Independence Day Parade July 4, according to a news release from Daniel Schwartz, a spokesman for the National Independence Day Parade….
“It was overwhelming to think that someone on that level noticed us here in Oppenheim-Ephratah,” said DiAnne Mott, music coordinator and band director for Oppenheim-Ephratah.
Mott said she is proud of the band and is confident it will do great in the parade.
“Sometimes people forget what is in their own back yard,” Mott said. “I always thought Oppenheim-Ephratah was one the best-kept secrets.”
In addition to playing in the parade, three students will be chosen to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony while the school band plays.
“None of this would have been possible without the team work of other music teachers in the department, or the AMPs group [Association of Musical Parents],” she said.
The group is responsible for handling fundraisers like the spaghetti and chicken dinners that have been used to raise money for the band.
The band has already raised half of the $20,000 it needs to attend the parade, Mott said. The school has also put up an additional $10,000 to support the band due to the late notification given to the band that it had been selected to participate in the parade.
“The whole school community has stepped up and been supportive,” Mott said.
According to the release, the band will be in Washington from July 2 to 5, and will participate in sightseeing and cultural activities in addition to performing in the parade. …
The Oppenheim-Ephratah Central School was also recently named one of the “Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America” by a partnership of leading music and educational organizations in the country, according to the release.
i am an O E Marching Hawk and let me tell you that the trip was a blast i had alot of fun and it will be something i remeber forever. i was in the second line behind on of our drum magers and seeing all those poeple did make me a little nervous but then i rember all the other parades we had gone to and i rembered that we always leave the crowd cheering behind us. yea our town might be small and hard to find but the whole town supports the band. we are one big family
Comment by kyle sweet — July 6, 2006 @ 4:56 pm
hey i was a o e marching hawk at one point and all i have to say is mrs mott and mrs schoff and also mrs hammer are probly the most amazing mucical people. i love playing in that band. ITs not the same anymore sence i moved.
Comment by ryan cok — May 7, 2008 @ 11:39 am