Hopewell Valley Central High School’s marching band, the Marching Black and Gold, took to the field at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 18 with its show, “Take to the Skies,” and came away with the first place trophy in the USBands competition.
The band stood out in a crowded field of 16 Class IIIA bands from New York and New Jersey. In addition to being named the top competitor, the Marching Black and Gold took two other prestigious honors, Best Color Guard and Best Visual Effect.
“To watch the students grow with this program we’ve put on the field has been truly special. We are excited and honored for the recognition we received at the USBands Yamaha Cup; and with three weeks left in our season, we are looking forward to getting even better with each passing rehearsal and performance,” said band director David Schwartzer.
In just 10 years of competitive performance, the band has earned the Yamaha Cup’s top honor twice. In 2014, it captured the trophy with its show, “Rise of the Machine.”
The band’s current show celebrates the advent of flight. As a IIIA band, the Marching Black and Gold is comprised of 44 band members, 11 color guard, and 2 drum majors.
The band is under the direction of HVCHS band director David Schwartzer, assisted by Jeffrey Parkinson. Color guard instructors are Samantha Maloney and Kelly Evans, and percussion is directed by Scott Daley and Mark Eichenberger. USBands is the sanctioning body for high school marching band competitions and is a program of the nonprofit organization, Youth Education in the Arts.
