Wasilla High School band returns from historic trip to Washington D.C.

WASILLA— The Wasilla High School band recently returned from their eight-day trip in Washington D.C. for the Lincoln Memorial Band Tour.

This was the first time the school’s music program has been able to embark on an adventure of this scale and it was a particularly unique opportunity for the students.

“That was a trip of a lifetime. You couldn’t miss it,” WHS band director Jackie Johnson said.

Johnson said that she’s proud of her students for putting on high-quality performances and their overall dedication as musicians and representatives of Alaska and the Mat-Su Valley.

“They did great. This group is so very talented,” Johnson said.

On top of performing at the Lincoln Memorial, WHS students put on several other performances during their time in D.C. Johnson said they had a busy itinerary full of sightseeing, dining at nice restaurants, and generally making the most of their time with each activity between their concerts. They even got to see historic documents such as the Bill of Rights.

“They’re good kids,” Johnson said. “They made sure they were very respectful. They were awesome it was a great group to travel with.”

Students even had the chance to watch a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies. For several students, it was their first time watching a professional baseball game.

“It was cool being a tourist from a tourist state,” Dimitri

Johnson said they spent a lot of time brushing up on Alaskan history on top of general U.S. history to prepare for the trip.

“We reviewed those things so we could be good ambassadors,” Johnson said. “That was a very good experience for everybody.”

The school year is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the WHS music department is going to slow down. Johnson said their school jazz band is performing for the 2022 graduation ceremony. She said the school marching band will be a part of the City of Wasilla’s annual Independence Day Parade for the first time.

Johnson marveled at their school’s continuous strides in expanding their music department and various accomplishments, particularly over this last year.

“It’s definitely a year of firsts,” Johnson said.

The WHS marching band debuted the school’s first official uniforms during a fundraising event prior to the trip to D.C. WHS sophomore Emily Netzley said that putting on the uniforms for the first time was very validating. She said it just boost the band’s overall morale, complementing the supportive environment she’s enjoyed being a part of.

“Actually putting it on, it was like wow,” Netzley said. “It’s all together.”

The WHS marching band is hosting a fundraising banquet Tuesday, May 17 at 6 p.m. For more information, call 907-352-8200.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com