By KAREN MARSHALL
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Warrior Marching Band continued its impressive season this past weekend, winning top honors at both Saturday’s home competition and Sunday’s Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) event in Norwood.
On Saturday, Wakefield hosted 16 bands at Landrigan Field for the New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) fall event; a full day of music, color and showmanship that even featured a performance by the UMass Lowell Marching Band. But when the hometown Warriors took the field, that was when the stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
Events like these wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of parent volunteers, whose work was visible everywhere from organizing food deliveries and table setups to baking their ‘famous apple crisp’, collecting tickets and managing crowd flow. Volunteers even helped spectators cross busy streets safely and find their way around the stadium, though a few might still be deciphering the concession stand map.
Beyond the logistics, what stood out most this weekend was the sense of community. It was heartwarming to see so many returning parents at the home show proudly declaring, “I was a band parent.” Old friends greeted one another with hugs and stories sharing memories from years past. One former parent wore a vintage white silk bomber jacket with red lettering proudly noting that their child had been the drum major in 1998 and 1999.
Another laughed while reminiscing about their time on the pit crew: “I pushed out those instruments, but climbing those steps to Landrigan (Field)…I don’t miss those!”
When a student joins marching band, parents quickly discover that it truly takes a village to make each season a success. Under the leadership of Visual and Performing Arts Director Tom Bankert, that village includes an extraordinary team of teachers, staff and an ever-growing network of parent volunteers who give their time, tools and talents to bring each performance to life.
Among those parents is John Todisco, a landscape professional and skilled woodworker who has built many of the band’s eye-catching props including this year’s standout feature, the Gatsby car.
“The Gatsby car took about 50–60 hours to build,” Todisco explained. “The go-kart arrived in pieces and I assembled it before bringing it to a practice for testing. From there, I built a full wooden frame, added metal support brackets and covered it with lightweight laminate. I even wired a horn and headlights with a switch next to the steering wheel.”
The attention to detail didn’t stop there.
“The paint was a challenge,” he admitted. “I started with a bright yellow, but it didn’t match the show’s colors. I ended up repainting it a creamy yellow that worked better with the gold. The tires were another story, I had to paint whitewalls several times before finding an epoxy paint that wouldn’t turn brown.”
Todisco’s craftsmanship extends far beyond this season. Since 2022, he has built an impressive lineup of props for both Winter Guard and Marching Band productions.
“The hardest part is taking the creative vision from the staff and translating it into something that’s both beautiful and functional,” he said. “Everything moves around a lot, so I focus on making the props durable and easy for students to transport safely.”
But for Todisco, the reward isn’t just in the craftsmanship, it’s in the community.
“The best part is the appreciation and excitement of the students,” he said. “They’re respectful, hardworking and genuinely happy. The collaboration between staff, parents and kids is just fantastic. It’s been an absolute pleasure.”
Bankert shares that feeling of gratitude.
“None of what we do is possible without the parents’ support,” he said. “From fundraising to loading and unloading trucks and everything in between, they are essential to our success. The Wakefield Marching Band has the best parents around!”
As the Wakefield Warrior Marching Band continues its season including a five-star win on Sunday, the teamwork between students, staff and parents shines just as brightly as the performances themselves.
To the parents past, present and future, the message is simple…thank you!