On April 29, the band department held their annual Band-A-Thon, an event where members of the Mt. Hebron Band and Marching Unit come together for six hours and entertain viewers with nonstop music and entertainment. The event took off with individual instrument choirs. Flute, clarinet, trumpet and percussion all showed off their amazing talents in each of their sets.

“It was interesting to hear only one type of instrument playing together rather than multiple,” junior Emma Kate Davis expressed. “It was a different experience.”

They then moved into the Jazz Band, which is led by seniors Donovan Dicks and Devlin Donaldson. The band got the crowd moving with “Ready, Freddie” and kept them going with “Birdland,” “Baker Street” and “Vehicle.” The high energy of the students filled the auditorium, making the performance extremely enjoyable.

Another crowd pleaser was the Dixie Band, which is led by senior tuba player Brandon O’Toole. Other band members include senior Devlin Donaldson on the tenor sax, senior Jon Cohen on the trombone, sophomore Andy Bellis on the drums and junior Kenny Wang on the Clarinet. Starting off with a well-known classic, the band played “When the Saints go Marching in.” The band then continued on to play “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?” and “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue.”

Band-A-Thon is different because not only does Band Director Mr. Will Marrin get to conduct, but there are also a number of guest conductors. By simply donating, anyone could go up and fulfill their dream of conducting. One of the first to step up was Assistant Principal Dr. William Neugebauer.

One of many things that made Band-A-Thon so unique was that they held Kid Clinics, where members of the band taught a group of children a new song. This year, the song selection was “Crazy Train.” After diligent practice, the kids were able to perform the song with members of the wind ensemble. Seeing how well the students worked with each child and the joy glowing on each child was truly spectacular.

Senior Drum Major Tharen Rice was just as moved by the experience. “It’s always a lot of fun to see the community come together for an event like this,” he said.

Although six hours is an extensive amount of time to sit and listen to music, there were many other things to do. One of the main attractions were the food trucks planted outside the auditorium. The Cavaliers also had an outstanding performance in the gym.

Even by the end of the event, the energy was still going strong. The event finished with the Marching Band spread across the entire auditorium playing all the classic football songs we know and love. Ending the night with everyone singing “Hey, Baby” as one big band.