The Bridgewater-Raritan Marching Band entered the field to perform at the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA) competition, held at Piscataway High School, with its 2025 show titled “Spice” on October 4.
Twelve other bands performed with them as well, two of which were in the same division as the Bridgewater-Raritan band, Class AAA.
Their show takes listeners on a journey throughout the feelings and emotions of different spices. It includes songs such as “Little Fugue in G minor” by J.S. Bach; “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” by Benjamin Britten; and “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins” by Avner Dorman.
It starts with an energetic tune and environment by expressing salt and pepper, which are spices usually used to add a little flavor to food. The band then goes into a soft, calm and jazzy feeling to represent cinnamon, which is a spice known to have a warmer tone. Their show transitions to a fast-paced song, also a percussion feature, to represent cayenne and the spiciness of the red pepper. Lastly, it ends with a cool and peaceful sentiment to represent mint.
Students were called at around 12 p.m., a later start time than their previous competition, allowing them to be more energized. They performed at around 7:15 p.m. and enjoyed concession food with their peers, as well as viewing the remaining performances.
The meal students ate before departing the school was internationally themed, meaning they enjoyed various kinds of foods from different cultures around the world.
The hard work the band students put in through numerous rehearsals beforehand paid off at their performance, as they won first place in class AAA with a score of 80.4.
What made the performance even more memorable is that during the show, there was an audio mishap with one of the soloists’ mics, with their sound being echoed throughout the show. This made it difficult for the performers to stay on time. Despite the struggles, the band still managed to put forth their best performance, ultimately landing them in first place.
Students felt a sense of accomplishment when awards were announced, because they had felt mixed emotions about their performance due to the technical difficulties. However, students were extremely relieved when they found out the result.
The bus ride home was filled with positivity and the sound of joyful chatter among the performers that night. It was an overall great ending for the weekend, especially after an eventful night with the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School eighth graders the day before.
Judges’ tapes were also posted shortly after the next day, allowing students to see what they could improve on to make their show better for the next performance.
Sophomore Aiden Del Gaudio, a second-year member of the Marching Band, shared his thoughts on the experience.
“The competition was a great experience! I remember feeling worried during the run-through when the soloist’s microphone started echoing through the speakers, but eventually the band found their footing again. At the end of the night, when our band was called, my friends and I celebrated our hard work together and went home fulfilled and satisfied,” he said.
The band is expected to be seen next in their upcoming performance at Monroe Township High School on October 11.
