State Championships and Carnegie Hall

On Nov. 1 the Edison Pageantry Corps, which consists of the Marching Band and Color Guard, took home First Place in every category in their division at the Surf City Open Field Competition at Ocean View High School and thereby qualified for the State Championships.

Fourteen schools were competing in the 3A Division for the one Championship position. Edison’s award winning Band consists of 67 precision performers (brass 20, woodwind 30, percussion 17) and the Color Guard has 13 talented members. Together they honor “Heroes and Legends” (Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, the FDNY, and the American GI.) in the presentation that has won them outstanding recognition and the opportunity to compete against 5 to 7 of the best in their division in the State at the Championship Band Competition to be held on Nov. 22 at San Gorgonio HS in San Bernardino.

The Edison Pageantry Corps is under the experienced direction of Dr. Tim Benge and his Assistant Director Jerry Van Otterloo. The organization has able and devoted leaders making all of this possible. Student Leaders include; Conducting Drum Major Mandy Glimpse and Field Drum Major James Munroe. The Color Guard is led by Coco Humphries, Mindy Thuman, and Sarah Meyer. Three Captains lead the musicians: Brass Captain, Danielle Aguilar; Woodwind Captain, Sarah Jackson; and Drum line Captain, Daniel Storage.

Earlier in the year it seemed that the most important event for the Pageantry Corps is their upcoming appearance in Carnegie Hall, New York, May 2009. It is still a trip of a lifetime that the Corps anticipates with excitement, but going to the State Championships is incredibly exhilarating and challenging. The weekend before the State Championships the Edison Pageantry Corps and all of its Boosters will be in action on November 15th as Edison will be “hosting” the competition at El Modena-Fred KellyStadium in Orange. It will be an all day event and consume the energy of the Pageantry Corps, the leaders, the parents and all of the supporters of the group.

Obviously, funds are needed for the trip to New York. Many of the performers cannot afford the $2200 per student trip, so fundraising and sponsorship is in full swing. Ed DeMeulle ed@demeulle.org is working on some fabulous SPONSORSHIP opportunities for businesses and individuals.

Edison High School Pageantry Corps qualifies for State Championships and will preform at Carnegie Hall, go Chargers!