Class of 2001 Marching Band

A paper submitted by Katie E. McMaster as partial fulfillment of the requirements for her Senior Project.

January 3, 2005

            Just what does it take to build a winning competitive marching band? Is it a director that pushes until the band can no longer be pushed? Could it be a deep sense of pride and dedication on behalf of members? Or could it just be prima donna attitudes found in all of the involved parties? The Hanover High School marching band members of the class of 2001 were a class that knew very little about losing. Perhaps our answer lies within their story.

            The marching band members of the class of 2001 began their marching careers in 1997. Their freshman year got off to a rocky start. Having never competed before, the band began a learning process concerning their style of marching and musical accuracy. Their performance of the show entitled, Vaudeville Spectacular earned them 8^th place at the Tournament of Bands Chapter Six Championship. Unfortunately, this outcome did not earn them an invitation to the Atlantic Coast Championship.

            Their sophomore year, the class of 2001 was ready for more. Performing a show entitled, Basically British, the band placed first in the Chapter Six Championship and went to the Atlantic Coast Championship where they finished in seventh place with a score of 92.5. This was a huge accomplishment compared to 1997, but they weren’t willing to stop and give up there.

            As juniors in 1999, the class of 2001 took their performance to a new level. Performing a show entitled, Essentially English, the HHS marching band was undefeated in regular competition and again placed first in the Chapter Six Championship. They finished out the 1999 season with a bang, landing forth place at the Atlantic Coast Championship.

            Finally seniors, the Class of 2001 was ready for the 2000 competitive marching season. With a comedic show entitled Shadows, the HHS marching band upheld their undefeated title winning the Chapter Six Championship for the third consecutive year. They went on the Atlantic Coast Championship yet again and ended their marching career with an amazing performance earning a score of 93.1, landing them sixth place.

            In the history of the Hanover High School marching band, it’s hard to find another group of individuals who accomplished so much. After their graduation, the marching band attempted to defend their undefeated title, but was unsuccessful. Just what made the class of 2001 so special? Many factors may have played a part.

Director, Galen Leitzel, led the class of 2001 for all four years of involvement. Leitzel had a great deal of experience in marching band. He knew what he needed and had very high expectations for every member. If you made a mistake, he saw it and helped to correct it as soon as possible. His experience and direction could have had a great deal with the success found by the class of 2001.

The class of 2001 was also a dedicated class, involved in all areas of music. The majority of the class was involved in not only band, but also orchestra and vocal performance. The class was a tight-knit group of teenagers who were dedicated to all in which they were involved. Most of the members were in marching band all four years, allowing them to progress and perfect their showmanship as much as possible.

             Dedication is not the only quality possessed by the class of 2001.The members of this class were confident and enjoyed the positive attention. None of them were afraid to be in front of a crowd. In fact, the majority of the class probably loved showing their stuff to any person who would contribute positive feedback. The positive comments received only fed the band to work even harder and make their performance even stronger. These kids loved being in the spotlight, and were willing to work hard to get there. This prima donna attitude just might have been what pushed them over the top.

            Whatever the reason for the success of the class of 2001, they have something to be proud of. Many classes worked their hardest and weren’t able to achieve all that the class of 2005 achieved. Whether it was their direction, their dedication, their prima donna attitudes or any other combination of reasons, the class of 2001 can be proud of themselves, for their legacy will last forever in the history of the Hanover High School Band Program.