Liberty band will lead New Year’s Eve parade

By Linda Linonis

Liberty High School band will perform on New Year’s Eve at Disney World.

LIBERTY — Liberty High School band members will do more than tour Disney World in Florida during the winter recess. The band will play in a New Year’s Eve parade at the Magic Kingdom.

“We’re in the pre-parade ... so we’re in front,” said Michael Summers, band director. The band will perform in “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” in the afternoon. “The adrenalin rush will be high,” Summers said.

Summers said the band will play “Taking It to the Street” by Michael McDonald and “Soak Up the Sun” by Sheryl Crow.

“We sent in a video application in October 2008,” Summers said, noting it showed the band at various performances. Later, Summers received notification from Disney that the band had been chosen. “We’re honored because only six high school bands were picked,” he said. The band director of 11 years said he doesn’t know how many applied.

Summers said 112 members of the 140-member band are making the trip. They boarded three Anderson buses in late afternoon Monday and traveled throughout the night. They arrived in the Orlando area Tuesday. Band members met Sunday at LHS to pack their instruments.

Summers said the band visits Disney every four years. This year is special because they’re playing in the parade. Smaller trips are taken during the other years. They often take the trip during spring break.

“It’s a good time to go because transportation costs are less,” Summers said. This is his third such trip and the biggest trip that the band takes.

Summers said band members were involved in various fundraisers to pay for the trip. He said each student going on the trip had an individual account; money from fundraisers in which the students were involved was divided among the participants. Among fundraisers were craft shows and tag days where contributions to the cause were solicited.

“This performance is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They’ll be performing for some 100,000 people. I think their jaws will drop when they see the crowd,” Summers said of the number of people usually at the Disney parades. “The performance expectation is so high.”

Summers said the band has been practicing for the parade performance since Dec. 7; they have played the selections before, so the rehearsals are tune-ups.

He said the band had finished its marching season, presented its holiday concert and now is back in marching-band mode.

Band members will be occupied with other activities while in the Sunshine State. Tuesday, they were scheduled to see a show of Cirque du Soleil; today, visit the Animal Kingdom and Epcot; and New Year’s Eve, the Magic Kingdom.

“We’ll be there all day [New Year’s Eve],” Summer said.

On Jan. 1, the group will tour Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM, and then head for home. Parents of band members are chaperoning.

Senior Christian Dennis, 17, is making his first trip to Disney. The tuba player, who also plays tenor sax, is the band president. “I’m really excited about the trip,” he said, adding he was a bit nervous about the performance.

“We’ve never played before such a big crowd,” he said.

Christian said he felt it was an honor for the Liberty band to be chosen to play.

Allison Armeni, 18, a senior and twirler in the band, said, “This will be one of the memories from high school.”

She has been to Disney as a visitor before and wanted to participate in a parade. Now that’s coming true.

“I’m nervous because we’re the first ones they’ll see,” Allison said. “The adrenalin will be going.”

She said the last practices before the trip were concentrating on making sure the moves were “clean and exact.” For the seniors, the trip is a special one, she said.

Pooja Kwatra, 17, a senior, is flute-section leader. “I’m excited but nervous, too.”

She said the trip will be a “treasured memory” from high school.

Erianne Raib is majorette adviser, and Marla Dull is flag-line adviser.