As a wrap-up to their fall season, Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Band and Colorguard performed a variety of exceptional pieces at the 57th Annual Spaghetti Dinner. Students, teachers, and even alumni came to eat spaghetti and watch the performances from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Band started out the evening with “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea, an upbeat song to get the audience excited. Following this, everyone was encouraged to stand for the patriotic “Star Spangled Banner.” Colorguard then took the floor to perform the first part of their fall season field show, “Drawn to Destiny,” (the remaining part would take place later in the show). With music by Joe Hisaishi and costumes based on hand-drawn anime, the dancers awed the crowd with their energy and impressive tosses. 

Freshman Sydney Wong, a member of Colorguard, shared her experience during her first Spaghetti Dinner.

“Spaghetti Dinner was a super great experience where I got to hang out with my friends and perform,” Wong said. She also expressed that she enjoyed “reliving” Colorguard’s fall season routines. 

“I think the audience enjoyed our performance…there was lots of cheering and clapping, which was great,” she added.

Next, Band combined nostalgia and festivity in their song, “Need A Little Christmas,” previously performed at the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. 

“I would say the most memorable thing about this year’s Spaghetti Dinner is our tune, ‘Need a Little Christmas.’ It’s unique to this year and will always be remembered as our Chicago song,” said freshman Jamie Shiuan, who plays the clarinet. “I enjoyed that we were able to showcase all our competitive music that we have been working on this year, along with some other fun tunes.”

Afterwards, AHS Pep Band (a small group consisting of select Band members) performed a few enthusiastic songs and World Percussion gave a small preview of their next show to come. These performances were followed by Drum Major senior Zoe Seow showcasing her baton L pattern. 

“I think my performance went pretty well, with everyone telling me they enjoyed watching me spin my baton,” said Seow. “Hearing the audience amazed by the final toss of my routine filled me with joy.”

Band and Colorguard then participated in their traditional drill downs, starting with the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in the 6 p.m. show and followed by the seniors in the 8:00 p.m. show. Participants gathered in rows, and positions were called out at random, such as “left face” or “right face.” The Band and Colorguard members had to follow these instructions without hesitation, or they’d be eliminated from the game, resulting in the winner being the last person standing. Many students expressed that this was definitely an exciting and delightful element of the Spaghetti Dinner, especially when the seniors were able to wear a costume of their choice during their drill down.

“The most memorable thing from this year’s Spaghetti Dinner was dressing up in Hawaiian outfits with my friends for the senior drill down, a tradition…that I had always wanted to do,” said senior Jacob Shiuan, who plays the clarinet.

Finally, the audience watched a brief slideshow composed of the accomplishments of Band and Colorguard during their fall season to the soundtrack of Band playing “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. The night ended with their parade march, “Boys of the Old Brigade,” where Band marched up to the audience, and Colorguard displayed awards it’d received. 

“It is always a joy to see students reach their senior year and reflect [on] how much they have grown in the program,” said Mr. Tom Plunkett, one of the band directors. “Watching students go from shy 9th-grade students to confident leaders is very gratifying.  Also, the growth of each student and improvement in individual musicianship over the course of one season is pretty amazing. The end product is always fantastic, and the students are so talented and dedicated to the program.”

Congratulations to Band and Colorguard on a successful fall marching season and successful Spaghetti Dinner!