Lynn schools band performs in D.C.

LYNN – The Lynn High School Marching Band marched in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, braving 100-degree temperatures and the pressure of performing on a national stage.?It went excellent. That was probably the best I?ve ever seen them march,” said Marching Band Director Len Simboski Thursday. “The kids just really stepped it up. I think they saw all the crowds and the other bands playing, and they wanted to be just as good.The band, which is made up of 25 performers from Lynn?s three public high schools, performed in the Fourth of July parade in Washington, D.C. Wednesday in front of an enormous crowd that included the president, members of Congress and thousands of tourists, not to mention countless TV viewers.The trip was the culmination of a year of hard work and after-school practice, but Joe Picano, Lynn Schools Director of Fine Arts, said no group of kids was more ready for the challenge.?The attitude of the kids in the band getting ready for this was positive the whole time,” Picano said. “They wanted to bring the level of performance up and represent their city well.”The band was one of three high school groups invited to represent Massachusetts, Picano said. The group practiced four hours a week for more than a year, memorizing the music and then familiarizing themselves with the march.The band performed three songs several times during the parade?s mile-long route.The first was a medley of patriotic favorites, followed by a medley of service songs dedicated to all five branches of the Armed Forces. The last was the Fourth of July classic, “You?re a Grand Old Flag,” according to Simboski.He described the parade as “grueling” due to the extreme heat, but the performers excelled thanks to several “practice runs” in local parades leading up to the Fourth of July. To give the players a short respite, the percussion section played a cadence between each song.?It was constant. They actually asked you not to stop playing,” Simboski said.Chaperone and elementary music teacher Lisa Cohen said after the parade the students visibly relaxed and really began enjoying the mini-vacation, she said.?They were obviously very excited about it, but once it was over, I definitely felt a sense of ?phew, we?re done.?”The group took a lot of evening tours of outdoor monuments because of the heat and spent their days in the air-conditioned halls of some of the country?s most renowned museums.?None of them have been to D.C. before,” Cohen said. “It?s a lot to take in.”The marching band is unique in that it performs all year long, regardless of whether school is in session, Picano said.Before signing up to be in the band, students must agree to perform on national holidays, like Veterans Day, and during Christmas break.?This band does more community work than any other kids I know,” Picano said. “They support the veterans, play for the less fortunate and volunteer at nursing homes.”Picano said small financial contributions from the city as well as larger donations from current and former band boosters helped the band raise the $25,000 needed for the trip.?Thanks to them, no student had to pay out of pocket,” he said.Simboski said the band is expected to be back in town around 8 p.m. tonight after a tour of Mount Vernon, the former home of President George Washington.?The band did the city of Lynn very proud,” Simboski said. “There are 25 kids and they looked like they were marching as a unit of one.”Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].