Marching Band Senior Feature

The Dakota Marching Band Seniors: 

Alina Amore

Drum Major

Favorite Memory: Getting the opportunity to play at MCBA State Championships at Ford Field for the first time in Dakota’s history and seeing all the smiles on the bands’ faces after we marched off that field.

Most Important Lesson Learned: Be the change that you want to see. If you don’t, who will?

Isabella Stewart

Color Guard

Favorite Memory: Marching at Ford Field

Most Important Lesson Learned: You have to be adaptable. Some teaching techniques may change, you may get a new director, coach, etc., but if you’re able to quickly adapt to the change, it’s less hassle for everyone.

Jessica Lenkavich

Color Guard

Favorite Memory: Catching my first pop toss

Most Important Lesson Learned: It’s not being a part of something special that makes you special, something is special because you are a part of it

Meili Papa

Flute

Favorite Memory: Receiving the position of flute section leader my senior year while also getting the flute solo in the marching band show

Most Important Lesson Learned: Marching Band has taught me that success is never automatic and that it’s ok to experience failure because it will only make you stronger in the end.

Mackenzie Kline

Flute

Favorite Memory: It is really hard to choose my favorite memory from all of the 4 years I have done marching band because there are sooooo many! But if I had to choose one, it would have to be when all of the flutes would start singing, dancing, and making each other laugh at practice and any other event we had such as the collage concert, football games, and competitions. We have had so much fun together and we always had a fun time whenever we were together! I am really going to miss all of them so much!!

Most Important Lesson Learned: What I have learned from marching band is that don’t take the little things for granted. Practices were yes long and sometimes the weather isn’t cooperating with us but it was worth it in the long run! I’m going to miss all of the 3 hour rehearsals, the football games, and the 12 hour days preparing for our competitions.  Time flies by so fast and I am going to miss all of the friends I’ve made over the past 4 years and all the memories I’ve shared!

Thea Holmquist

Flute

Favorite Memory: It’s not specific but when one person starts playing the show then everyone joins in playing their parts. It’s a sense of community and family in my opinion.

Most Important Lesson Learned: To not judge anyone and time management. The marching band is full of people with the best personalities. With so much practice you need to be able to manage everything.

Austin Perini

Saxophone

Favorite Memory: Performing in the Thanksgiving Parade

Most Important Lesson  Learned: The value of hard work

Jason Wend

Clarinet

Favorite Memory: Performing my Freshman show, Friday Night Lights, for the very first time.

Most Important Lesson Learned: The only way to improve at anything is to work hard.

Nicholas Valentage

Clarinet

Favorite Memory: Playing with a clarinet ensemble for the talent shows at Band Camp.

Most Important Lesson Learned: Never stop improving one’s self because one can always be better as a marcher, player, and a person.

Brendan Clancy

Trombone

Favorite Memory: Last year, there was a party to decorate our trombone slides for the thanksgiving day parade at Dani Slone’s house and it was a lot of fun

Most Important Lesson Learned: The most important lesson I’ve learned from marching band is how to have discipline, I’m a pretty laid back guy and I’m not usually too serious but marching band has taught me how to be serious at the right time, and silly all the rest.

Carter Pharris

Baritone

Favorite Memory: I don’t have a favorite because I value all of my memories.

Most Important Lesson Learned: Value the little things in life.

Gabe Barbera

Drumline-Quads

Favorite Memory: All of senior band camp. The friends I made, the senior pranks, our plan for skit night, the dance, and having it be wrapped up with senior speeches.

Most Important Lesson Learned: You don’t need a title to be a leader. If you know that you’re a leader and you don’t get the title, then let those leadership abilities shine through and your buddies will look up to you!

Gianni Rosa

Drumline-Pit

Favorite Memory: The senior speech circle at band camp. After three years of watching all the upperclassmen give them, it almost seemed surreal to be the one standing in the inner ring. The moments before had been hard on me — a bad performance always was my weakness. But watching the people who I’d grown up with talk about all the memories we shared was nothing short of incredible. And when it was my turn to speak, alongside two of my closest friends, with nothing but nostalgia and a vague script in our minds to work with, I knew those moments would be the ones I couldn’t forget.

Most Important Lesson Learned: Dedication means far more than one might realize. There’s an old adage about how it takes 10,000 hours to master any skill or task. Though it seems like an absurd amount, the more you work at something to get better at it, the more you realize that it’s not wrong. And though it might seem like a daunting path to follow, I can say from experience that showing effort, energy, and motivation is what sets people apart first.