By Rob Forleo
Special to the Voice
While sports teams often dominate the headlines, one of West Haven High School’s most spirited and hard-working groups has been quietly making history — the WHHS Band. Under the direction of Donata Lupacchino, this 190-member ensemble of musicians and color guard members is stepping into the school year with tradition and a record-breaking roster.
“The West Haven High School Band is unique because it has over 60 years of strong traditions,” Lupacchino said. “Specifically, at the beginning of every performance, the drum major asks the band: ‘How do we do it?’ and the entire group answers ‘With pride.’ It is a tradition that we hold near and dear to our hearts. When we answer, ‘with pride,’ we mean that we are performing with pride for ourselves, our school, our community, and the entire city of West Haven.”
Band Camp officially Aug. 21 and has a role in making the ensemble get its stride.
“Band camp sets the tone for the school year because we get to establish our routines and work ethic before the academic year even begins,” Lupacchino said. “The students work incredibly hard from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for six days, then 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for three days, on marching, playing, and all of the intricacies of our field show performance. Working together as a full group — all 190 students involved in Band and Color Guard — is an incredible opportunity to build community and relationships with the other students in our performing group. We get to kickstart our marching season with huge amounts of growth, and set goals for ourselves that we get to work toward as a group for the entire season.”
And there are new things to look for with this year’s edition of the band.
“We are excited for so many things this year!” Lupacchino said. “First, we are excited for the addition of front ensemble and color guard into our group! Second, we are excited to be returning to the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade where we will defend our three-year title of Best High School Marching Band and Fan Favorite. Finally, and most importantly, we are excited to be making history as the largest band in West Haven High School history!”
As the season gets underway, the WHHS Band is already putting in the hours and effort needed to reach its goals. With its long-standing traditions, growing size, and proven track record of excellence, the band is ready to represent West Haven with pride in every performance.