Brrr! Benet Academy’s Marching Band is presenting the 2019 halftime show, Winter is Coming, which is under the direction of band director Mr. Richard Alifantis and assisted by drumline instructor Mr. Paul Chabez Jr. The show itself is conducted by drum major seniors Rachel Kolb, Conner Grumbles, and Christine Eldrenkamp. 

The theme for this year is winter. The marching band plays a variety of pieces that fit into the theme such as the Game of Thrones theme song, A Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkel, and Winter by Antonio Vivaldi. This year, the show also features a percussion solo called “White Winter Hymnal” where only the Front Ensemble and Drumline play. Unlike this year, most of the other marching band shows in previous years such as Anxieties in 2018 and Rhapsody in Blue in 2017 did not offer any percussion feature. 

Every year during the marching band season, Mr. Alifantis and the drum majors hope to make each show better than the previous year. Mr. Alifantis said, “Sometimes we change the drill a little, sometimes we change the music a little also, and sometimes we change everything a lot. Many decisions depend on what the show calls for and the capabilities of the band.” 

The Marching Band started on the new music during band camp week back on August 5 where our freshmen, who joined band this year, were introduced to the upperclassmen. At the Naperville Last Day Fling Parade on Labor Day, the Marching Band was able to march and perform the parade tune Party in the USA, which featured an exciting tambourine line.

On Friday, September 13, the Marching Band seniors were recognized for their hard work in band during their 4 years at Benet. The entire Marching Band ate dinner with the senior band parents, followed by surprises for the seniors and a presentation video before the big game. Mr Alifantis also stated, “Senior night always causes me anxiety because everything is timed out very precisely. But it all works out, though, thanks to the careful planning of Mr. Goforth.” 

On September 21, the Marching Band competed against many other schools in the Naperville Central High School (NCHS) Marching Competition at Benedictine University. Last year, the band placed second overall. Mr Alifantis sees the competition as an effective way for the members to become better marchers and performers. He also says, “We attend those competitions for the comments we receive from the judges, and [we] use those comments to change some things about our show to make it better for the next performance.” 

Enjoy the show at the next home football game!