Megan Miller
KEYSER, W.Va. — A group of students from Keyser High School will represent the community and the state in the national spotlight on New Year’s Day.
The school’s Golden Tornado Marching Band is traveling to Jacksonville, Fla., where the West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the Florida State Seminoles in the Gator Bowl. The band will participate in two performances at the Gator Bowl festivities — first in a parade through downtown Jacksonville on Thursday, then in a group of nearly 1,500 student musicians and cheerleaders in the halftime show Friday.
It will be one of 10 marching bands to participate in the halftime show, and will have the distinction of being the only West Virginia band to represent the state, aside from West Virginia University’s own band.
“It gives you a sense of state pride and pride in your community,” said Suzanne Warrick, director of bands at Keyser High School. “Especially compared to some of the other communities that send groups on these trips, we’re a small place. It shows that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
Keyser’s trip to the Gator Bowl is the culmination of at least nine months’ work in applying, fundraising, and lots of practice, practice, practice, Warrick said. The application process required that Warrick provide her own credentials as a band director as well as the band’s credentials and performance experience.
Two years ago, the band traveled to Memphis to perform at its first bowl game, the Liberty Bowl. Warrick said that experience helped the group to step up to the next level.
She knows firsthand what students get out of these types of experiences, having performed at some major events with her marching band in high school.
“My high school went everywhere from the Orange Bowl to the Rose Bowl. My senior year we did the Macy’s Parade,” Warrick said. “I’d like to build up to doing something like that with my students.”
There’s plenty of down time built into the trip itinerary, which includes a New Year’s Eve party and a day spent at Walt Disney World. But there will also be hours of rehearsal leading up to the halftime show.
The students put in plenty of work already, not just in rehearsals, but in extensive fundraising to help pay their way to the Sunshine State, Warrick said.
“The kids really had to dig in over the past year and do some fundraisers,” she said. “We did everything from selling food and home items to doing walk-a-thons. Early on, the kids made a commitment that they would make it work, and I’m proud of them for that.”
The Gator Bowl Parade takes place Thursday at 3 p.m. in downtown Jacksonville. The game kicks off Friday at 1 p.m. from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, and will be televised on CBS.
Contact Megan Miller at mmiller@times-news.com.
