The Tenafly Marching Tigers scored a first-place win on Sunday at the USBands A-Class National Championships of Classes III-A and IV-A in Allentown, Pennsylvania, becoming the best marching band within group IV-A in the entire nation with a whopping score of 94.900!
Finishing off the season strong, the Tenafly Marching Tigers sent a gust of wind and whipped up a frenzy of dust and debris, leaving only the stunned silence of the aftermath. The crack of a showstopping whip resounds within the stadium as the band prepares to unleash their final showdown, the drum majors galloping their way to the podiums and once again putting the black and red fighters under their magical spell one last time.
The fighters stand like statues with Tiger Pride until their four sheriffs—or the drum majors—give them the cue to fire and the silence of the Wild West is broken by the piercing roar of the Tenafly Marching Tigers. For the last time in a competitive setting, the marching band pulls its musical trigger in the flash of light and all other bands fall to their award-winning performance, “Wanted,” without a fight.
Mr. Jacobetz, the band director, and drum majors Julian Ahn (’24), Helen Hui (’24), Jun Lee (’24), and Jake Pleva (’24) take their lassos out one last time before the ravenous eyes of the audience, providing them with their best performance yet. In complete unison, the Marching Tigers paint the field with their DINKLES, painting vivid images of the Wild West and utilizing the expertise that the “behind-the-cacti” team has provided them in their three-hour rehearsals.
This win would not have been possible without the help of Mr. Minesh Shah, the ensemble coordinator; Mr. John Fugaban, woodwinds technician and field director; Mr. Aaron Alcine, composer, battery instructor, and musical and visual design staff; and Ms. Marllyn Alcine, the front ensemble instructor.
These four remarkable individuals facilitated the band’s logistics and creative aspects, as well as ensured that they entered the national competition with nothing less than perfection under their belts. Every Monday, Thursday, and Friday night from around 6 to 9 p.m., these four individuals are present and ensure that the marching band’s performances, skill, and talent reflect their hard work and dedication going into each rehearsal.
However, the marching band also features the magic of the color guard team, whose fluidity in spinning flags, rifles, and sabers in synchronized motions adds an extra dimension to the performance, giving even clearer pictures of the Wild West. The color guard team adds a new level of color to the story of Billy the Kid for his last competitive performance under the guidance of Mrs. Jill Rothstein and Ms. Kiera Shepard, who ensure that the choreography, colors, and costumes all come together to create a stunning visual display for each rodeo that the Marching Tigers provide.
After many tiring rehearsals, pizza dinners before football games, football games, competitions, inside jokes, wins, laughs, smiles, and memories, the Tenafly Marching Tigers close the comic book of Billy the Kid, leave the Wild West, and enter the concert band season, where they will be playing pieces such as The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Fear not, as the Tigers still have one more big showdown before their official end to the 2023 marching season! Come watch the Thanksgiving performance at the Turkey Bowl on November 23! The saloon will be full of cowboys from Tenafly showing their true Tiger Pride.
So, for one last time, be sure to grab your popcorn, bring some of your own fellow cowboys, and come enjoy the show, where the *nationally-ranked* marching band will turn a modern-day football game into an old-timey wild west rodeo!
