ELATED about their fantastic finish in the Northeast Region MICCA Marching Band competition for earning four out of five stars in all six categories are the leaders of the 2023 Marching Hornets (from left): Asst. Drum Major Nate Burt, Colorguard Co-Captain Fahd Benhafoune, Drum Major Isabelle Kim, Colorguard Co-Captain Lily Liberto and Asst. Drum Major Raffi Toby. (Maureen Doherty Photo)
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — They did it! The Marching Hornets knocked it out of the park with a grand slam in the Northeast Region Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) competition they hosted on October 15.
Under sparkling blue skies, the Marching Hornets debuted their new field show, “Goin’ Home,” a fun, baseball-themed arrangement under the guidance of Band Director Ben Owens, and they received their highest score ever at a first competition of the season — four out of five stars across the board in each of six judged categories for a final assessment of four stars overall.
They earned four stars for Music Effect from judge Fred Ford; Visual Effect from judge Richard Rigolini; Music Performance from judge Tim Lizzotte; Visual Performance from judge Kathy Kerrins; Percussion performance from judge Peter Furnari and Color guard performance from judge Joel Dube. These scores represented the highest in their division as well as one of the two highest scores of the day.
This highly energetic show depicting the excitement of a baseball game from start to finish opened with an excerpt of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and was followed by “Did you See Jackie Robinson?” by Natalie Cole; “Pastime” by Jack Stamp; “Life Goes On” by Hans Zimmer (from “A League of Their Own”); “Centerfield” by John Fogerty; and “Home” by Philip Philips.
Owens, now in his sixth year at the helm of the NRHS band program, is assisted by Assistant Director Dan Muse and Color Guard Director Tara Zerfas,
The color guard, outfitted in baseball uniforms, visually played out the roles of members of the baseball team competing in a ball game on the diamond they created in the middle of the field, and they also depicted the fans in the stands. They even tossed about real baseball bats in addition to the traditional flags. Serving as Color Guard Co-Captains are Fahd Benhafoune and Lily Liberto.
The different bands at the competition typically compete in different divisions and are not being judged against each other but against a rubric that assesses each band’s ability to execute their routines in the six categories listed and overall effect.
The 65-member band, under the direction of Drum Major Isabelle Kim, and Assistant Drum Majors Nate Burt and Raffi Toby demonstrated its ability to execute an entertaining show with precision.
The Hornets were the fourth of four bands to compete at the October 15 event. The others were Dracut, Reading and Londonderry, N.H., and the stands were filled with hundreds of appreciative fans throughout the competition.
Prior to the award ceremony, everyone was treated to a nearly 15-minute exhibition show by the highly talented UMass Lowell Marching Band. They showcased a rich sound that enveloped the entirety of the Arthur J. Kenney Field and featured phenomenal solo performances by a trombonist, several trumpet players and a bass player.