NNPS student musicians showcase talent at Marching Band Expo
Posted: October 19, 2023
Newport News Public Schools and its city-wide community united to spend the evening of Oct. 18 on a high note as hundreds of student musicians performed at the second annual NNPS Marching Band Expo at Todd Stadium.
Bands from all over the school division tuned up for the event, which was free and open to the public.
Newport News Vice Mayor Curtis D. Bethany, III served as a guest conductor as bands from all high schools and eighth grade students from all middle schools combined on the national anthem as the opening number. City Council member Tina Vick co-announced the event from the press box with NNPS Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts Katie SheehanSmith.
Eighth graders performed together pop song "Seven Nation Army" as an ensemble followed by marching bands from Denbigh, Menchville, Warwick, Woodside and Heritage high schools performing their halftime shows. The Boomin' Bears Drumline from Riverside Elementary School and the Crimson Thunder Drumline from Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School demonstrated their skills for the crowd.
"The NNPS Band Expo is a celebration of music diversity and music excellence in Newport News Public Schools," SheehanSmith said.
The event is designed specifically for the community and music programs to come together in "uNNity" to support to work of its music educators and music students, she added.ÃÂ The collaborative night intends to instill an enthusiasm for continued participation in music programs for all students.
"By sharing the field, our eighth-grade musicians get a taste of what high school marching band can be like," SheehanSmith said. "For our elementary school drumlines, the event puts them center stage with our middle school musicians. Having only a few moments to rehearse all together, students from all NNPS middle and high schools unite as a single ensemble."
The performance was recorded for TV and the web, and will begin airing on NNPS-TV Cox Channel 47, Verizon Fios Channel 17, on Roku and Apple TV, and online at nnpstv.com/webstream once it is edited and scheduled. It will also be available on demand on the Telecom student YouTube channel (YouTube.com/nnpstelecom). WAVY-TV 10 filmed footage and interviews to be featured on an upcoming episode of "The Hampton Roads Show."
"We were honored to have Newport News City Council show such great support of our musicians, with Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany and Councilwoman Tina Vick playing key roles in the night's events," SheehanSmith said. "Thank you to the Newport News Education Foundation for their generous sponsorship. It was a truly #NNPSProud night, wherein the unique styles and field show designs of our programs are able to be on full display."
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