“We’re excited about this night of marching band music from some of the region’s best high school bands,” said Michael L. Kelly Jr., director of bands at Canfield High and one of the event’s organizers.
“Fans that are used to hearing just a few band tunes during a halftime show will be very pleased to enjoy an evening of band music and choreography.”
Admission to the event is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors (62 and over) and students. Children five years and younger will be admitted free.
”There is a rich story there about the history of band nights in the Valley," said Bob Ward, band parent volunteer. It was started in 1974 as a joint effort by the by band directors Larry Snell of Austintown Fitch and Tony Cebriac of Canfield. Both gentlemen are alive, well and still teaching lessons today. There’s a rich story there as those two gentlemen are regional icons in the school band community.”
Another story Ward said is too often behind the scenes is the fundraising that the band kids do to sell ads in the fall program. They do it to raise money for the spring band trip to Walt Disney World where they will be performing.
“It’s quite an undertaking for these kids raising money to pay their way ($750)" and the band parents credit the kids with 100 percent of the monies raised from selling ads in the Band Night program and the fruit sale in the winter, he said.
Article Photos
Photo courtesy of Robert Senn Studio
The 2011 Canfield High School Marching Band