On Saturday, Jan. 11, Band, Percussion, and Color Guard celebrated the end of their successful marching season by hosting their 53rd annual Spaghetti Dinner and Recognition Show in the AHS North Gym. Acting as a fundraiser to support the Arcadia Music Club, those who purchased tickets were treated to eat spaghetti from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the AHS cafeteria. On top of that, several raffle ticket drawings were held where people could win small prizes, as well as a silent auction for larger prizes. Friends, family members, and alumni excitedly filled the gymnasium stands to enjoy a delicious dinner and an exhilarating show that the performers had been preparing for months. Although the event was divided into three separate showtimes at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m, Band and Color Guard members still put on an equally phenomenal performance for every show. 

At the venue, Band, Percussion, and Color Guard opened with an exciting medley of songs like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Livin’ On a Prayer”, and then transitioned into a medley of classic rock pieces like “Final Countdown”, “YMCA”, and “Don’t Stop Believin”. The evening continued as they performed all three parts of their field show, “Lily of the Valley”, featuring breathtaking flag and rifle routines by the guard members, skillfully coordinated marching, and an enchantingly beautiful music score. As a way to reminisce about their great marching season, the performers played their parade march, “Sound Off” and then segued into an audience favorite— the drill down. The drill down is a fun competition where audience members cheer on marchers of each grade level as they have to accurately follow a command the drum major gives them.

Senior Ethan Wang, a percussion player, commented, “It’s a really neat event because we music kids get to show off our fall season in all its glory. As a senior, it was my last Spaghetti Dinner, and one I’ll never forget. Being able to play with my bandmates one last time was really fun, and making it this far shows how much dedication we’ve put in to achieve what we did. It’s an amazing experience and a great way to end a season.” 

Sophomore Matthew Ma said his “favorite part of Spaghetti Dinner would be playing the 2019-2020 field show with the rest of the band, [as] the field show holds lots of memories from long rehearsals, competitions, and our Florida trip. I just really enjoyed the moment with my friends.”

Just like every year, Spaghetti Dinner was a huge success and was a fantastic way to wrap up a wonderful marching season. A huge congratulations to all of the performers for having such an outstanding year so far. Make sure to wish them the best of luck for their upcoming concert season!

Photo by RONALD LEE