CHS marching band capitalizes on talent

It may have been raining, but it was still summer, and the Colony High School marching band was decked out in winter coats, hats and gloves. Why? To get accustomed to parading in scalding heat.

Today, the 65 members of the marching band will fly to Washington, D.C., to represent Alaska in the Fourth of July parade. Equipped not only with their respective instruments, but also with personal hydration systems, the band will trumpet and trombone, drum and flag, while walking the one-mile route that winds past the White House.

Approximately 300,000 people are expected to attend the parade, not counting those watching via television, said Jamin Burton, band director.

This is the first time that a marching band from Alaska has been invited to the capital's Fourth of July parade, and Gov. Frank Murkowski has taken note. He declared next week as Colony High School Marching Band Week.

"It's completely amazing. I can't believe we got this opportunity,” said Lucas Kovtynovich, a trombone section leader who just graduated.

It all started Aug. 31, 2005, when Colony High School's first marching band sounded up under the direction of Burton.

At that time, only one student had any marching band experience, everyone else was new to the form.

Burton, who is just finishing his second year at Colony, made marching band a priority even before he was hired. He recalled discussing the subject in his job interview.

"I've been a marching band kind of fanatic since I was in high school,” Burton said.

Shortly after the debut of the Colony High marching band, the National Independence Day Parade Committee caught sight of a story written about the band. The committee invited Colony High's marching band to audition.

Word came in December: The Colony band had been selected as one of about 20 bands to participate in the national parade.

The good news brought an increase in dedication and practice time. Since school let out, the marching band has been meeting at 7:20 every morning for hours of practice.

The practice has paid off for the band, which includes two Palmer High School students, one Houston High School student and a number of Colony and Teeland Middle School students.

"We all feel the pressure and stress over it, but we feel that we're up to,” Kovtynovich said, adding that before the intensive summer practices began they were "severely stressed.”

Parent Patti Knueppel agreed with Kovtynovich's assessment.

"Back when I first saw them in December, it was like, ‘oh my God,'” she said. "Watching them today, it was like, ‘wow.'”

In addition to the parade, the Colony High School marching band will place an Alaska wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and take an excursion to New York City, where bandies will attend the musical "Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway.

The trip costs $1,660 per student, covered in part by a variety of fund-raising efforts. Students who put the most effort into the spaghetti feeds, raffles and cell phone collections covered about $1,000 of the trip cost, Burton said.

What's beyond for the band?

"Our future goal is Rose Bowl 2009,” Burton said. "It will take a lot to make that happen.”

Contact Amy Schenck at 352-2269 or amy.schenck@frontiersman.com