The Pride of Platte County Marching Band’s 2023 competitive marching season has come to an end, but band members experienced a season to remember.

Dr. Matthew H. Bonsignore, Director of Band and President-Elect, Missouri Music Educators Association, District #1, reviewed how the band made plans for a unique and memorable band season.

“This year, we chose a New York theme,” Bonsignore said. “In our design phase, we sat down and started brainstorming what we wanted to include - from props, uniforms, music, drill etc. With that said, settling on New York as a theme, we wanted to depict artists and music that represent the eclectic mix of culture that New York City represents.”

They decided to include classical music, jazz, pop, and rap, with artists who either live, or have lived in New York, or who were born in New York. The show title evolved into The Big Apple.

“We included these artists and music: George Gershwin - ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, Taylor Swift - ‘Welcome to New York’, Billy Joel - ‘New York State of Mind’ and Macklemore – ‘Downtown,’” Bonsignore said.

This season, numerous soloists were featured, including, Amelia Kidd on clarinet, Toni DeBiaso on trumpet, Quinn Duggan on piano, Ian Gold on tenor saxophone, Mathew Soloman on alto saxophone, Will Kimlinger on baritone saxophone, Kendall Heckman on flugelhorn, and Alyson Stone on trumpet.

After selecting music and soloists, the directors and the design team discussed what they wanted to see in the uniform design, color guard design for uniforms and flags, colors throughout, formations on the field etc. Formations on the field included some classic New York moments, including an I heart NY, a Brooklyn Bridge and a crown from the Statue of Liberty.

“The students began in July, and spent more than 200 hours rehearsing, refining, memorizing music and moves and pouring everything they have into the show,” Bonsignore said. “To be clear, these students auditioned for this, and received nothing for it: no credit hour, almost no recognition, and the home crowd only gets to see the performance one time, as a post-game after the homecoming game each year. I highlight this because I respect and admire these students so much. Most of these kids are involved in sports and other activities as well, and the Fall becomes a mess trying to deal with schedules, games, family outings, etc. These kids persevere through it all.”

Bonsignore said this year’s version of the Pride of Platte County came in with some great goals this summer, which included: Have a positive attitude, establish boundaries and expectations for the band, get more done in rehearsals, baseline connections and community to build on.

Their 2023-24 mission statement, which was created and developed by the student leadership team is to improve as musicians, grow as a family, and inspire greatness.

“We started out the year at Blue Springs South, and due to some weather issues that day, never got a chance to perform,” Bonsignore said. “I was worried that not allowing the freshmen and new members the opportunity to get their feet wet would hinder our progress this season. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. I feel fortunate that we have a team of amazing band directors, super supportive parents, and awesome students who are all willing to do what it takes to be successful. Success doesn’t come by accident, it’s through determination, commitment, and a great work ethic. I’m extremely proud of our kids and their commitment to having a great show this year.”

Bonsignore is also very thankful for the school administration, the school community, parents and family members, and all the other people, especially teachers, who support the kids and have encouraged them to achieve this kind of success each year. “You matter,” Bonsignore said. “We love and appreciate you!”

One of the biggest rewards for Bonsignore as Director of Bands is to watch the results of the kids’ hard work. He said it was a very satisfying feeling knowing that they are learning collaboration, discipline, team work, problem solving, and a myriad of other skills that they will take with them and use throughout their lives.

“Our students are building relationships and memories throughout each season that they will always remember, and even when they are my age, they will be able to look back fondly on,” Bonsignore said. “The results of our competitions are secondary to all the positive things our students experience throughout the season. Combining a great start to the year with a good worth ethic allowed us to get farther in the learning process faster than any other year to date,” Bonsignore said. We had a very successful season. I tell the students that earning ‘trophies’ is fine, but in 5-10 years nobody will remember what place we finished, or what result we had. What the students will remember is their hard work, the memories they made and the lasting friendships they developed throughout the process. These students become a family, and I am so proud of them!”