The Marple Newtown High School Marching Band marched into the spotlight this season with a championship-winning performance at the USBands IIIA Championships, earning an outstanding score of 93.5. Their show, Hunting Wabbits, delighted audiences with a playful and masterful blend of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “Hunting Wabbits,” and the iconic “William Tell Overture.” Beyond securing the title, the Tigers earned Best Overall Effect, Best Visual, Best Color Guard and Best Percussion.
Held on Sunday, November 9th at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Marple Newtown delivered a show that won over both the judges and the audience. “We really wanted to create a show that the audience could really follow and that the students could have fun with,” said band director Dr. Jake Olimpi, who is also an MNHS alumnus. “A lot of bands perform shows that are very serious or metaphorical; we wanted something that was more playful.”
Inspired by the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Hunting Wabbits included voice-overs, cartoon-like trees and bunny ears and tails as part of the band uniform. “The band members really bought into the idea and had fun with it,” added Dr. Olimpi. “We have a lot of fun personalities in the band,” said assistant director Ben Fastman. “It really showcased these students, not just as musicians, but as performers.”
Jacob Lutz, the band’s Drum Major and a senior at MNHS, enjoyed the playful and silly aspect of the show. “It was a really fun show to be a part of,” he said. “I think the storyline and the light-heartedness of it really resonated with the crowd.”
The color guard also played a vital role in bringing the Tiger marching band’s performance to life, transforming the music into a vivid visual story with their coordinated flag and rifle work. “The music was really fun to choreograph,” said MNHS Color Guard instructor Rebekah Silar. “The band members really connected with it and the color guard really got into character.” “This year’s theme really allowed us to show different sides of ourselves, which was really fun,” added Emilia Murphy, one of the color guard captains. “We could be more silly and goofy. And our choreography really assisted in telling the story.”
Dr. Olimpi explained that planning a marching band performance takes nearly a year of planning and rehearsals. A show comes to life through a thoughtful, multi-stage creative process. Each season begins with a fresh concept, a story or theme that is carefully chosen to engage audiences and showcase the students’ talents.
From there, the staff crafts original musical arrangements, writes detailed drill formations, and plans the visual elements that make each show memorable, including props, color guard features and coordinated costumes. For this year’s show, Dr. Olimpi was inspired by Looney Tunes cartoons he enjoyed while he was growing up. “I knew this would make a great theme and the musical scores were pieces I loved and knew our students would enjoy performing. It all came together really well,” he said.
Throughout summer band camp and weekly fall rehearsals, students dedicated hours to mastering fundamentals, perfecting musical passages, learning field movements and finally integrating every layer. By the time they stepped onto the field this fall, the Tiger Marching Band delivered a performance that reflected their dedication and hard work. For Emily Dobbins, a junior at MNHS and this year’s band President, finishing in first was so rewarding after the hard work they put in all season. “We really put our all into the show,” she explained. “It’s fun to see how much progress we made from those early days at band camp.”
The success of the show would also not be possible without parents working behind the scenes. “Parents pitched in and came together early on,” said Kristi Schaub, president of the MN Band Parents Association. “From painting the sets to fundraising, they really answered the call to action.” You could also see the parents beaming with pride all season as they cheered from the stands, decked out in bunny ears. “There is a lot of camaraderie, not just among the band members, but the parents too!” she added.
The MNHS Marching Band has been competing since the late 60s. For the past several years, they’ve been a part of USBands, an organization that supports the development of scholastic performing ensembles and includes thousands of bands in more than 150 marching band, indoor and concert band events nationwide.
Each band is judged based on a comprehensive system that evaluates various aspects of a band’s performance, including music performance, visual performance and overall effect. “Winning first place was really special this year,” said Dr. Olimpi. “We’ve really worked hard to develop the music program over these past five years, so it was exciting to be recognized for all that hard work.”
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors congratulates the MNHS Marching Band on their award-winning season! Your commitment to excellence, both on and off the field, brings pride to the entire Marple Newtown community.