Danvers High Marching Band Earns 3rd Place At New England Championships

DANVERS, MA — The Danvers High School Falcon Marching Band completed another huge fall season with a third-place finish at the New England Championships and by marching and playing in the Boston Veterans Day parade on Nov. 8.

The band was one of three from Massachusetts schools chosen to play in the parade.

Under the direction of Jeffrey Daniels, the Falcon Marching Band earned first-place finishes at the New England Scholastic Band Association Melrose, North Reading, and Reading regional competitions before earning a third-place finish at the Division 3 New England Championships in Lawrence on Nov. 2.

The ensemble also received numerous special awards for excellence in music, visual performance, and overall effect.

This year's field show — titled “Wonderland" — featured musical selections and visual elements inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The show combined musical arrangements, dynamic movement, and visual design — including new custom uniform tops — to create a riveting performance that was met with enthusiastic response from both audiences and adjudicators at competitions and football games.

This year's band includes 57 students in grades 8-12. The ensemble starts rehearsing in June, followed by a two-week band camp in August, and rehearses twice weekly throughout the fall season.

This year marks the band's fourth year in the competitive marching band circuit. At the NESBA Finals performance, the band received its highest score ever in competition, as well as a gold medal rating.

The band was led on the field by drum majors JJ Murphy, Natalie Bahret, and Alejandro Bourdier, with color guard captains Kylee Collins and Nora Nickerson leading the visual ensemble.

"I was proud of the growth the band showed over the course of the season, and the positive results were indicative of the preparation by students and staff from the summer to the final performance in November," said Daniels, who is in his seventh year of teaching music at Danvers High School and as director of the DHS Falcon Marching Band. He also serves as the auditions coordinator for the MMEA Northeastern District Junior and Senior festivals.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)