The Bridgewater-Raritan High School marching band kicked off its performance season with its Friends and Family Invitational at Basilone Field in Bridgewater on Monday, September 16.
The event started shortly after 8 p.m. with the newly renovated bleachers full of family members and friends of the Bridgewater-Raritan High School color guard and marching band.
Various alumni members were also present to support their peers in their first performance. It was a three-movement piece that had taken inspiration from a multitude of genres of music, from classical to modern pop music.
The marching band’s 2024 show, entitled “Journey to the Bottom of the Sea”, finds the band engaging with the theme of an eventful journey into uncharted territory. However, as the production progresses, the ensemble resembles the presence of Sirens, mythological creatures known for their alluring voice. Music selections for this year’s show include an original piece, “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish, “The Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” by Missio, and the fourth movement of “Four Sea Interludes” by Benjamin Britten.
The first movement set the stage for the band and gave a starting point for a story to develop through all three movements. With a total run time of approximately 10 minutes, the show is expected to be a staple at Bridgewater-Raritan home football games, along with competitive performances the marching band will take place in throughout the month of October.
The performance was highlighted by the front ensemble who lined the side of the football field closest to the audience, accompanied by a set of speakers to pronounce their sound. Brass sections were stationed behind barriers to hide visibility from the audience between performance motions. Color guard members also danced with flags throughout the music.
The marching band was conducted by the BRHS drum major, Agastya Shahane. In red attire, Shahane stood on an elevated platform in front of the percussion line between the bleacher audience and the football field. This is Shahane’s first year in this role.
“Being in this role for the first time is both challenging but also rewarding. I am very excited for what the band has to offer and am also excited to showcase the hard work this ensemble has put in on the show to audiences,” he said.
Marching band director Nicholas Mossa was proud of the quality of the group’s preliminary performance.
“The band has worked really hard to realize each of our goals to build the program each day between August and now,” he said.
Mr. Mossa also began looking forward to the season as a whole.
“Every year we set our sights on being the best band we are capable of being each day we take the field. The growth mindset, to be better than we were yesterday, is the foundation of everything we do,” he said.
The marching band’s next performance will be at a competition event at Scotch-Plains Fanwood High School on Saturday, September 21. This event is the ensemble’s first competitive performance for the season that will cultivate with the New Jersey Marching Band Directors State Championships on Sunday, November 3, at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
