The PV Panthers Band has undergone changes since last football season, losing the marching aspect and gaining a new rock and roll vibe and a completely new setlist.
“The marching band is no longer a marching band. It’s interesting because we lost an aspect but we gained aspects,” PV senior and Panthers Band Flutes and Clarinet Section Leader Nicole Choi said.
According to PV Panthers Band Director Craig Yaremko, he noticed the shrinking marching band upon his arrival last year. He recalls that there were only 14 members, seven of whom were seniors. Due to a lack of interest across the board, Yaremko knew he needed to make some changes With support from administration and the Music Department, Yaremko has converted the marching band to a non-marching, “rock and roll inspired Panthers Band.”
Yaremko expressed that playing in the stands, as opposed to performing field routines, shifts the band’s focus to the music itself.
“We’re playing in the stands pretty much exclusively, and we’ll have three different shows for our home games that are coming up,” Yaremko said. “I even hope for one of our last two home games to have guest vocalists and guitarists essentially putting on a rock concert in the stands.”
The band’s new sound includes more rock and pop music with a different set list for each home game. In between plays, the band will play pop hits such as Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and rock anthems such as “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas and “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath.
“I feel like [the new band format] gives us [an opportunity to play] a wider range of music,” Choi said.
The first home halftime show featured popular songs such as “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, “Roar” by Katy Perry, and “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne.
“It’s definitely a variety of pop and rock styles, but stuff that is really recognizable and certainly gets people really into our performance as well,” Yaremko said.
Yaremko believes the changes are helping to revive the band.
“We’re coming up on like doubling the size of the band, and I just felt their excitement to play and the [new] attitude,” Yaremko said. “We’re shedding the marching band uniform to bring this fun environment.”
Choi can also recognize a transformation in the band.
“ [The new format] puts a lot of personality into band,” Choi said.
Furthermore, the addition of non-typical band instruments stands out to Choi.
“We incorporated instruments that aren’t really considered marching band instruments, like the rhythm piano, xylophone, and electric guitar,” Choi said. “It’s way more diverse than the [old] percussion section.”
Yaremko was inspired by scatter bands, a type of less refined and formal band that many Ivy League schools have. He believes that they cut the marching time and simply “bring a lot of fun to a football game.”
“I think it’s cool because it’s not something that a lot of high school bands around here are doing,” Yaremko said. “But I’m not doing it just to be different. I just think it’s filling a need and harnessing the talent that we have in the school.”
Yaremko believes that this new format helps students expand and enjoy their other extracurriculars due to a decreased time commitment. As opposed to the many days after school needed to prepare a marching band field show, the Panthers Band mainly learns the music in Yaremko’s Concert Band classes.
“The band members are able to participate in all the [other] things that they’re doing and then still come and take part in what I think is a really vital thing for the school,” Yaremko said.
According to Yaremko, the Panthers Band’s first game performance was “fantastic.” When rain rescheduled the second football game, the Panthers band was not able to perform. However, Yaremko smiled when he heard the football parents commenting on the quiet atmosphere.
“Our goal is to make a lot of noise, and, quite frankly, we’re going to play a lot more music than I think the previous format really did,” Yaremko said. “So that’s something I’m really excited about.”
Yaremko hopes that former band members are inspired to rejoin the program, especially those he taught at Holdrum Middle School. Additionally, he aims to increase the band’s support at other events beyond football games.
“We love to be part of this [football games], and we want to support the team and the school. But also, we’re doing great things,” Yaremko said. “Come to our concerts, come to our events that we’re putting on too.”
Looking to the future, the Panthers Band will be playing at every Valley Cup as well as many town events. A variation of the band will be playing a more traditional sound for Memorial Day in Hillsdale. To Yaremko, the possibilities are endless, as there are always new, local performing opportunities.
“I’m excited to see where this goes as we’re rolling it out for the first time,” Yaremko said.
