The Alternative Press

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - This Sunday Governor Livingston hosted the annual Tournament of Bands Pageant.

The field and crowd filled with excitement as twelve towns competed for marching band glory. As Highlanders took the field led by their drum major, Oliver Lloyd, silence took over as they performed their themed piece of Swan Lake. The past few weeks of work resulted in an incredible performance scoring a 90.2. Despite the fact that they would not place because they were hosting they still performed on top. For observers the show was something to witness, for the performers it was something to be proud of.

“We’ve come a long way and its nice seeing how far all our work has taken us," said Joanna DeAngelis, marching band member.

The crowd was not only witnesses to a performance, but also heavy supporters and put on their own show of encouragement. Parents of Highlander students, in red, were sprawled throughout the crowd of people voluntarily helping the Highlander Marching Band in any way they could, from equipment movement to food supply.

For Highlanders “We Believe” is where they begin. They may play a note, or take a step but their minds believe in the possibilities of success. For some marching bands performances are more than putting on a good show, and for the Highlanders that is what they understood on Sunday. “The idea is that performance is supposed to be something special, and that each band should always think different because people are different every year. So the idea is that we try to get the best character traits of each of these students to work together as an ensemble and hopefully preform music and make a difference in people’s lives,” said Nicholas O’Sullivan, marching band teacher. And on Sunday Oct. 14, Governor Livingston's marching band believed.