On December 2nd, the Bedford High School Marching Band and Color Guard traveled to Hampton, New Hampshire to participate in the annual Hampton Parade. In past years, BHS performed in the parade and is excited to be coming back. With the appointment of a new assistant band director and 2 new student drum majors, BHS’s marching band has improved greatly.
Cam Macdonald, a sophomore here at Bedford High School, plays snare in the percussion section of the marching band. From his perspective, being able to participate in the Hampton Parade was a “great experience because we got to play music and march with our friends on the weekend.” As seen through the Hampton Parade and several other band events that are incorporated into these students’ weekends, marching band is a big dedication. Although this is the case, Macdonald recognizes that “it helps us play better, it helps us march better over long periods of time,” and that it overall just “helps us improve.” When asked about how he felt about the parade, Macdonald comments that even though it can be tiring, it is still worth it because “we get to hang out with all the people in the band and we get to know each other better,” which is why he and many other band students were excited to spend their Saturdays down in Hampton.
Another student, freshman clarinetist Abby Nover, also expressed her excitement for the parade. As a new addition to the band, she had never participated in a parade before. “My sister used to be a clarinet in the band and I used to go watch her,” comments Nover, “so I’m excited to be finally doing one because I used to want to do one when I was little.” Similarly to Macdonald, Nover stated that she really enjoyed band and didn’t mind sacrificing a chance to relax over the weekend to march because she “made some more friends in marching band and I’m really glad because I really enjoy hanging out with them.”
Overall, being able to participate in the Hampton Parade has only helped the BHS marching band, not just by helping them improve, but also by allowing them to be exposed to other possible opportunities to perform and improve. Best of luck to them in the future!
