TOWAMENCIN- North Penn high school offers students a myriad of opportunities through its various clubs, sports teams, music programs, and more. During the wintertime, students interested in music have the chance to be a part of four different winter band programs: Winter Percussion, Navy Jazz Band, Indoor Color Guard, and Columbia Jazz Band.

Consisting of 9th-12th grade students, the North Penn Winter Percussion, directed by Mr. Sean Haddad, begins their season shortly after the end of the marching band season and continues through mid April. Throughout the week they have rehearsals and on the weekends they compete at local competitions as well as larger regionals, which include many groups from surrounding states. This year, they will be competing at Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

“We are different from the other band programs mostly because there is a movement and visual aspect to what we do as well as our name suggests, using exclusively percussion instruments. One difference that isn’t as tangible is how we approach what it is that we do…

The Navy Jazz Band, directed by Mr. David DiValentino, is one of two high school jazz ensembles in the district. The Navy Band rehearses twice a week after school from December to May.

“Emphasis is placed on ensemble performance, improvisation, and jazz history,” said DiValentino.

In 2016, the band was selected to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association state conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania. They also performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival in Louisiana. In the past, they have performed with various artists including the Dirty Dozen Brass band and professional jazz saxophonist, Jessy J. This year, their main performances are at Steel Stacks and championships.

“The Navy Jazz band, named after our school colors, performs at a very high level.

“I think for me the best part of Navy Jazz is surrounding yourself with people that share the same passion and all have the drive to be better at what they do. When everyone has that mindset and are tuned in with one another that’s when good things happen,” expressed Evan Rondinelli, student in Navy Band.

The Indoor Color Guard, directed by Mrs. Cullen, starts in November and goes to the end of April. A competition typically takes place every Saturday and their performances are both local and far away.

“Color guard isn’t your ordinary sport. It’s a ‘sport of the arts.’ Color guard combines the skills of dancing and spinning to help tell a story to the audience,” said Virali Patel, a member of the Indoor Color Guard.

This year, the ensemble are going to the Mid Atlantic Indoor Association (MAIN) Championships and will also be performing at North Penn’s Community Knight in April. The ultimate goal for them is to go to world championships in Dayton Ohio for WGI, which stands for winter guard international.

“I can easily say color guard is a huge part of my life. It has shaped me into the person I am today without a doubt. Through color guard, I have met some of my closest friends and the feeling of camaraderie that is amongst everyone is unexplainable,” said Patel.

Columbia Jazz Band is directed by Mr. Peter Neu and Mr. John Josten. The group rehearses about twice a week in preparation for their weekend performances. Their season goes until the end of May with their championship performances taking place sometime at the end of April.

“It’s important for kids to get involved with music programs everywhere, not just at North Penn, but we have a unique opportunity in this school district. We have an outstanding program that is lead by some of the greatest music educators in our area that are dedicated to providing an outstanding experience to our students. Nowhere else have I seen such a devoted and caring staff where students can feel safe and welcome,” stated Haddad.

Although each musical ensemble is different in their performances, instruments, and members, all of the groups share similar traits such as dedication and enthusiasm, and aim to teach students lessons they will carry throughout their lives.

“The music program here in North Penn is like a big family. We spend so much time at school working on our craft, that we become very close friends. It builds discipline, dedication, organization, and perseverance. We need to be able to be patient and work hard towards our goals, because performing music at an extremely high level is not easy. What the students learn in these ensembles can carry through to their everyday life, no matter if they stay involved with music or not,”  conveyed DiValentino.