This past summer our very own WHS Band went to D.C to march in the National Independence Day Parade. A total of 48 students spent their summer marching and rehearsing for this big event. I had the chance to talk to band director, Eric Rooke, about what this meant for the band and the impact. The following are a few questions involving the trip to our country’s capital:

Evans: What does it mean for the band?

Rooke: It means a tremendous amount for our students to have an opportunity to represent ND on a national level.  Having our students perform in such a large event just helps them to see that if you work hard, you will see that success.

Evans: What was the best or most important part of the whole trip?

Rooke: The best part of the trip was actually marching in the parade itself.  It was very cool to be marching down such a historic street and in front of around 30,000 people!

Evans: What can kids look forward to when it comes to future band trips or opportunities?

Rooke: We travel to somewhere in the US every other year and it is always a great time.

Evans: What is your view or opinion on how the trip went

Rooke: I would say that the trip was a huge success and I would love the opportunity to do it again some time.

The city of Williston and its residents helped raise enough money to help the band make the incredible journey. Mr. Rooke has always taught his students to reach for greatness and perfection. He teaches them that if you put the work in that the end result will be worth more than what you could have ever expected. His teaching methods help push each student to always keep trying even when it gets hard. He’s dedicated his life to teaching students about the meanings of every song they play and that you are never done learning.

If you have ever had Mr. Rooke as a teacher, you know that he is dedicated and will always expect improvements.  When you take a band class with him, you will learn things about music and the inspirations behind beautiful songs with various different meanings to each. Let’s not forget about Mr. Bisbee who teaches the younger band students and teaches a few choir classes as well. 

The band did an outstanding job in the parade. All their hard work with fundraising and rehearsing paid off in the end. A very big congrats on their accomplishments!