Schools

Vikings Band Keeps Marching On (VIDEO)

The South Brunswick High School marching band, ranked number one in New Jersey and the entire Northeast region by the US Scholastic Band Association, is gearing up for the new season.

Under dark clouds, with the threat of rain overhead last week at South Brunswick High School, hundreds of students moved in unison as a cohesive unit, practicing a dazzling display of flag twirling, dancing, and superior musicianship. The SBHS marching band went through their routine time and again, because after all, being the best takes countless hours of practice.

The SBHS marching band is gearing up for the fall season, after a 2010-11 school year that saw the band not only ranked number one in the state, but also ranked number one in the entire northeast, from Virginia to Maine, by the US Scholastic Band Association.

"We had an amazing undefeated season last year, it's a younger band this year, but we have expectations of doing some really great stuff with them this year," said band director Mark Kraft. "We had an interesting start to the season this year. The first day of camp we had an earthquake, and we were unable to go away to camp because of the hurricane, so we're making up for lost time by working our tails off."

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Under the guidance of Mark and Ginny Kraft for three decades, the SBHS marching band has become a South Brunswick institution, as Mark said participation in the band has helped prepare students for life beyond SBHS.

"We're not just teaching music skills, but also life skills, about how to be successful people, working as a team, and to expect the best out of each other and themselves," he said. "In the band, the kids learn about time management. They have to balance practicing with their studies and some of them have jobs, but they still put in the time to be a great band. Only five percent of these kids kids will major in music in college, but we hope they all become life long lovers of the arts."

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kraft said the recognition of the SBHS band has helped students attract the interest of major colleges, as band members have gone on to play at colleges like Yale, Princeton, University of Michigan and Penn State.

"One of our former students was the captain of the University of Oregon color guard and performed at the (college football) National Championship game last year," he said. "A lot of students are getting opportunities through their experience in the marching band. I've never written so many letters of recommendation for major colleges before. More and more students are getting scholarships."

For students in the band, it's the feeling of accomplishment they get after so many hours of practices and drilling the routines that makes all the work worthwhile.

"When you finish a show there's something that comes over you, a feeling that you really did something and accomplished something," said senior Angela Porcelli, of Kendall Park. "You really feel good about yourself."

Porcelli, who plays the trombone,  said her experience in the band has helped her learn to balance school responsibilities with the extensive practice schedule.

"You have to be good at managing your time," she said. "You learn that every minute is important."

As she hopes to major in music education at Syracuse University, Porcelli said her years in the marching band at SBHS has helped fuel her desire to achieve at a high level.

"The music department is so great here because it's made me push myself," she said. "You have to work to be the best you can be, because we all expect nothing less than the best."

Some of the highlights of the upcoming season for the marching band include the South Brunswick Viking Marching Band's 32nd Tournament of Champions at SBHS on Oct. 1, the USSBA Yamaha Cup at the new Meadowlands on Oct. 15, and the champions of last year's Demoulin Cup will return to defend their crown at Rutgers Stadium on Oct. 22. SBHS defeated over 30 bands from around the state at last year's Demoulin Challenge.

The experience of competing against so many other highly ranked bands from the region has forced the SBHS band to continue to try and raise their game, Kraft said.

"The art of it has become so much more dramatic," he noted. "The kids have this simultaneous responsibility musically and physically. They have to have awareness spatially and project character through marching, dancing, and body movement, while they express themselves musically."

As the Krafts have become an institution at SBHS, the duo has even spawned their own Facebook memories page. Mark said it's become almost surreal after 31 years, as different generations of the same families have benefitted from their instruction, with the children of former students making their way through the program.

"Many of the students we have now are kids of past band members," he said. "It's really exciting to see how much it meant to their parents, that they want their kids to have the same experience. We've always considered the marching band a family event, so to know that it's now almost growing into grandkids in the program, it's very humbling and rewarding to see that."


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