District News

On August 29th the Bernards High School Marching Mountaineers held a preview performance of their 2024 show called  "Bruno Mars's 24K Jukebox" on Olcott Field. Having just completed a two week stretch of band camp, they were eager to demonstrate their accomplishments to a large crowd in the stands, prior to the start of the school year. Despite five seniors graduating out of the program last June, BHS gained enough beginners and returning musicians to grow in size; for the 24-25 band season, there are now 18 members.

Creating a marching band performance show is a layered experience, one that starts with building a strong foundation before adding elements. In band camp, the BHS musicians began with posturing, to apply the correct roll step. Next they worked on marching in a basic block, which allowed them to focus exclusively on stepping off and roll stepping on time. This exercise is purposeful, in that clean stepping helps the music sound clearer. Following that, the students practiced marching and counting. Since they do not have a conducting Drum Major, this reinforced the knowledge of the music to the technique.  Band members were given sheet music in June, so they had the chance to learn and practice their four songs throughout the summer. Prior to adding the songs to their routine, the musicians rehearsed inside their high school, using a section by section memorizing technique. According to BHS Band Director Stephen Taesler, they handled it well, with no major corrections. The four songs that will be part of their show  are “Runaway Baby”, “Treasure”, “24K Magic”, and “Uptown Funk”.  

“Band camp is all about team building, accountability, and support,” shared Taelser. The students hold each other accountable to good music making and all that it encompasses.” 

The Bernards High School Marching Mountaineers will be performing two pregame selections, the BHS Fight Song and the Star Spangled Banner, as well as their "Bruno Mars's 24K Jukebox" halftime show at the Home Football games this year which are scheduled for the following dates:  September 6th, September 20th, October 4th, and October 12th. They will also be entertaining and energizing the crowd with stand favorites such as Hey song, Go Big Red, Imperial March (Star Wars), Havana (Camila Cabello) and more!

In addition to playing at the football games, the Bernards High School Marching Mountaineers will be attending two competitions. On October 19ththey were invited to Wayne Hills High School for the 23rd Annual New Jersey State Marching Band Festival. This competition will be judged by band size and each band will be scored with either gold, silver, or bronze ratings. On October 26th the band will be part of a formal competition circuit hosted by the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association. This competition will also be judged by band size, however bands will receive a ranking of first to last. Rankings will be based upon quality of music performance, use of visuals, and clean execution of drill. 

Under the direction of Stephen Taesler, the band is supported by BMS Band Director Jason Snyder as the Assistant Marching Band Director, BHS staff member Rachael Taesler as the Color Guard Director, and parent volunteers Kristen Kochis and Lisa Cohen. Members of the Bernards High School Marching Mountaineers include Vedaant Vasandani (Flute), Syl D’Amato (Alto Saxophone), Jonas Apostolakos (Tenor Saxophone), Evan Schwartz (Trombone), Connor Kochis (Marching Snare), Sam Apostolakos (Marching Bass Drum), William Johansson (Marching Quad), Arianda Morales Quintana (Guard), Cameron Bong (Guard), Ava Bennewitz (Guard), Clare Spiteri (Guard), Ella Sgro (Guard), Julz Nigro (Electric Bass), and David Hunscher (Electric Bass). 

Student Ensemble Leaders include Drum Major Betsy Lezme (Trumpet) who coordinates the start movements and performance of all music from her marching position on the field and among her peers in the stands; Percussion Captain Lucian Spiteri (Mallets) who coordinates all percussion and pit organization and practice; Color Guard Captain Christina Rekatas who collaborates in the instruction and implementation of the guard performance routine; and Field Captain Jack Cohen who is the font of team spirit for the ensemble and is the primary inspirer of the theme of this show. All four student leaders assist the directors in assuring the ensemble is totally successful on the field, making it a total team effort. The Bernards High School Marching Mountaineers is looking forward to an enjoyable season performing for, and representing, Bernards High School with pride.