During the Independence Day weekend, the Montezuma-Cortez High School Band took a life-changing trip to Boston for the July 4th parade in Bristol, R.I.
While there was no competition for the band to take place in, the 42 students that attended this trip performed their pieces outstandingly throughout the 2.2-mile march.
“We played a medley of the five service songs that represent our five branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard,” said Rodney Ritthaler, teacher and conductor for the M-CHS Band.
Although the parade itself was an enthusiastic success, Ritthaler’ secondary plan for the trip was to provide an educational experience for the students, as many of them have never left home to a place such as Boston.
During the trip, the band visited Lexington, Concord, Salem, and Gloucester, Mass., and toured the Freedom Trail in Boston, Paul Revere’s house, the John F. Kennedy Museum, and the House of Seven Gables, from which the book of the same name is derived.
Overall, the trip was an eccentric and lively experience for each band student, ending with a spectacular fireworks display in Boston while listening to a live Pops concert to create an unforgettable experience.
While it is undecided when and where the next trip will be, Ritthaler has high hopes that the next group of students will perform like this group of musicians.
“Never again will this particular group of students, that made up this particular ensemble, ever perform again in the same manner, let alone celebrating the Fourth of July at such an historic location,” he said.
