The Pioneer Valley High School Panther Pride marching band and color guard proved to be “FANTASMIC” during competition in the Los Angeles area recently.
“FANTASMIC” is the name of the 2015 field show that nearly 100 Pioneer Valley High School students performed. It featured music from the “Disney Spectacular!” production.
The students competed against 28 other bands and earned two fourth place trophies in their division. The show included trumpet solos by senior Liliana Garcia and sophomore Clemente Ramos, and a saber dance duet by senior Nick Brady and sophomore Alexis Morse.
Liliana said the experience helped her decide to continue studying music after high school.
“Seeing all the other bands, especially the bigger ones like Pasadena City College, was truly mind blowing,” she said. “They brought passion, dedication, and hard work to the field and received nothing but applause in return.”
The band’s director Cynthia Wehlander said their performance was a “crowd favorite.”
“I am very proud of all my students,” she added. “A great weekend to be sure.”
The students also traveled to Costa Mesa and enjoyed the musical, The Lion King.
This article appears in Nov 5-12, 2015.
