Waubonsie Valley High School’s marching band, the Marching Warriors, was recognized at an Aurora City Council meeting last week for its performance at a New Year’s Day parade. But not just any parade — the New Year’s Day parade in Rome, Italy.
According to the city of Aurora, 146 members of the band traveled to Rome from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4. The trip culminated in a live performance as part of Rome’s New Year’s Day Parade on Jan. 1.
The Marching Warriors is a precision marching band that combines wind, percussion and color guard, according to the Waubonsie Valley Music Department’s website. In addition to football games and competitions, it has also performed at national and international parades.
Waubonsie Valley High School Principal Jason Stipp said he was “amazed” at the students’ “effort and perseverance,” as they began marching and rehearsal preparation for the trip immediately after their holiday concert.
“They marched the streets of Frascati and Rome and played in landmark churches,” Stipp said in an email to The Beacon-News. “It was great to see so many of them come together and get the most of each day and themselves at this young age.”
At Aurora’s City Council meeting on Jan. 13, several of the marching band’s section leaders were recognized for their recent performance, as was Mark Duker, the chair of Waubonsie Valley’s Fine Arts Department.
“I think (this) is outstanding, a feather in our cap as a city,” Aurora Mayor John Laesch said at the meeting.
Duker said the band typically performs in parades in Aurora and Naperville, but that this performance was “a very unique experience,” and was “extremely well-attended.”
“We feel very fortunate to be in a community that has families and students who value that kind of an international experience,” Duker said at the City Council meeting. “And it’s also great to live in a community … where the city recognizes the importance of that as well.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
