Nine Students Win Seats in North Jersey Area Band Auditions!

The West Essex High School Band Program is well represented in this year’s North Jersey Area Band.  Nine students successfully auditioned and will be performing at the annual concert on Saturday January 11, 2020 at 2:00pm at Mount Olive High School.  The Wind Ensemble will be conducted by Professor Darryl J. Bott, Director of University Bands at Rutgers University (and former Band Director at West Essex High School, 1982-1988), while the Symphonic Band will be led by Mr. Jarred Mattes, Band Director at Kittatinny Regional High School.

The West Essex Band Boosters congratulate the following students and all those who auditioned. We applaud your determination, drive and dedication! Click here for more information on North Jersey Area Band.

• Jim Alamia, Junior – Symphonic Band – Timpani
• James Humphrey, Sophomore – Symphonic Band – 4th Chair Bass Clarinet
• Gianna Lodato, Freshman – Symphonic Band – 2nd Chair Percussion
• Andrew Marino, Sophomore – Wind Ensemble – 1st Chair Mallets
• Caroline McElhannon, Sophomore – Symphonic Band – 6th Chair – 2nd Flute Part
• Ryan Polizzi, Sophomore – Symphonic Band – 1st Chair Trombone
• Gabriel Ruszala, Junior – Wind Ensemble – 1st Chair Trombone
• TJ Viola, Senior – Wind Ensemble – 1st Chair French Horn
• Julia Zon, Junior – Symphonic Band – 4th Chair Percussion

Caldwell University Honor Band Concert Held

We further congratulate the following 18 students who were recently selected to participate in the Caldwell University Honor Band.  These students performed in the annual concert, held on Friday December 6, 2019, under the direction of Professor Rebecca Vega, Instructor of Music at Caldwell University.

• Anthony Penna, Ava Franchi, Domenic Mangiarelli, Emily Hahn, Ethan Miskulin, Gillian Rodgers, James Humphrey, Joseph Matarazzo, Kathryn Trupia, Lea Bachenheimer, Michael Ragusa, Nicholas Stampone, Samara Schiffman, Sean Jenison, Sephanie Freda, Tiana Pimentel, TJ Viola, Yasmin Cardoso

Congratulations to all!

Madison Rombough Will March with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band!

Watch for Maddie as she marches down 6th Avenue and into Herald Square welcoming the Holiday Season!  The sophomore flutist joins more than 220 musicians and Color Guard from across the United States in this spectacular event – don’t miss it!  Click here to read more!

Madison Rombough, Sophomore Flutist will march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC!

The High School Concert Series Kicks off for the 2019/2020 School Year!

Congratulations to Mr. Fabrizio and the students of the Concert Band, Symphonic Winds, and the 8th Grade Band, for a fantastic Fall Concert, held at the West Essex Middle School Auditorium on Tuesday November 19, 2019.

More than 130 musicians filled the stage as 8th Grade Band Students joined the High School musicians for a special combined performance!

Among a number of selections, the audience was treated to a special combined performance of Randall Standridge’s Adrenaline Engines, with the 8th Grade Band Students sharing the stage with the two High School ensembles for a Grand Finale.  And grand it was, as the auditorium was absolutely filled with the wonderful sound of more than 130 musicians!

Friends and family were also treated to an enjoyably technical piece by composer Bruce Yurko, Night Dances, with Mr. Yurko in the audience! It was a rare and special opportunity for the students to perform a piece for the composer himself.

Thank you to the West Essex Band Boosters for providing hospitality after the concert, where concertgoers, musicians and staff had the opportunity to mingle and enjoy light refreshments.

Marching Knights, Parents and Staff Celebrate “Tales from The East”

Students, Parents and Staff came together on Tuesday November 5, 2019 for the annual End of Season Marching Band Celebration Dinner, sponsored by the West Essex Band Boosters. The dinner is a special way to mark the end of the competitive and memorable season of “Tales From the East, the Music of Scheherazade.”

During the dinner, underclassmen signed Senior posters, as Mr. Fabrizio and all gathered reflected on the past 6 months since the show was announced during last June’s Open House. We’ll miss those busy Fall weekends, but eagerly await what’s in store for next year!

Congratulations to everyone!

A Bittersweet Moment as we Celebrate our Senior Knights

We congratulate our Senior Marching Knights as they perform at the last regular season home game on Friday November 1, 2019.  It’s been a terrific season and the West Essex Band Boosters applaud their leadership and dedication to the Marching Band program! 

Senior Marching Knights, L to R: Anthony Penna, Sidan Ngo, Kiana Bronder, Yasmin Cardoso, Sean Jenison, Dominic Lombardi, Joseph Matarazzo, Nicholas Stampone

Madison Rombough to Represent West Essex in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City will once again include a West Essex High School student among its roster of all-star musicians. 

Sophomore Madison Rombough

Madison Rombough successfully auditioned for this prestigious ensemble of over 220 students representing all U.S. states. The group will parade down 6^th Avenue on Thanksgiving Day in the spectacular event that marks the official start of the holiday season.  Maddie submitted her audition earlier this year after Mr. Fabrizio provided application information to band students. “When I received the email from Mr Fabrizio, I thought how cool would that be?”  Maddie’s father, Brian, helped her get her video auditions completed and sent off just in time for submission.  She and her family were thrilled to receive her acceptance in September.  

She will march among the world famous balloons, bands and celebrities before performing in Herald Square for a grandstand audience and 50 million television viewers. “I still cant believe it!” she noted, “Music is a really important part of my life, and being accepted into an ensemble that is so iconic is just amazing.”  Maddie shared that as a child, she would always look forward to watching the parade. “I would watch all the balloons, the performers and the marching bands in awe…to think I will be a part of that whole experience is so exciting!”

Maddie will attend a week of intense rehearsals in North Jersey as well as enjoy NYC sightseeing before heading into Manhattan in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day for a final run-through and the big performance.

“We are so proud of Maddie being accepted and representing the West Essex Band program in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band,” said Mr. Fabrizio, “We are looking forward to hearing about her experience and will be watching from home to catch her on screen on Thanksgiving!”

The West Essex Band Boosters congratulates Madison on her outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing her in the Parade!

Knights Score 90.35; Place Second in Group 2 Open at Chapter Championships!

Congratulations to Mr. Fabrizio, the Staff, and the Marching Knights on your final competition of the 2019 season!  The pouring rain did not deter; your performance at the Chapter Championships was incredible and we could not be more proud of you all!

One photo says it all. Horns and umbrellas up as the Marching Knights perform at Chapters

“Thank You” just doesn’t seem enough to express our appreciation for all the parents who braved the weather on Sunday to produce one of the more memorable Tournament of Bands Chapter X Championship Competitions in recent history.

Mother Nature may have had other plans, but from set up to clean up, despite hours of non-stop rain, the West Essex Band Boosters rose to the occasion as only Band Parents can, and delivered a flawless competition!  Thank you to all our chairpeople and volunteers!

A very special thank you to Cathy Stampone and Cathy Salvanto for chairing this year’s event, and for the countless hours of planning you invested for many, many months!

Saturday October 20 at 12:00pm!

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