By Tom Markland
MARTINSBURG – The Martinsburg High School Bulldog Band’s “Java and Jazz” night brought legions of proud parents to the school on Saturday night to enjoy fresh coffee and performances from jazz bands from Martinsburg High School and South Middle School, in efforts to raise money for the upcoming school year.
The band has held a similar fundraiser in April every year, with a different theme every year creating a fun environment for parents, students and staff alike. This year’s theme featured coffee and a variety of deserts, provided by partners like Community Cup Coffee and More.
2024 has been an eventful year for Martinsburg’s marching band, with performances taking them up and down the East Coast to places like Disney for the first time in years.
Casie Adams, the school’s band director, says the Disney trip was something she did when she was a student in the band years ago, and something she was excited to bring back.
“It was always a great experience for us as students and we wanted to make sure that our kids got the exact same experience that we did,” Adams said. “I remember the pride and joy that I had being part of that band, and I wanted to give our kids that same opportunity.”
She says despite the long bus ride there and back, the trip flew by and the kids had an amazing time.
“The performance was outstanding,” Adams said, “And then the look on the kids face as they’re marching around through Magic Kingdom, it was awesome.”
In a few weeks, the band will march in Winchester’s Apple Blossom Parade, as number 403, towards the end of the parade lineup. They’ll be performing an arrangement that was composed by two of their own students, Sean Wood and Jae Smitherman.
“Sean Wood wrote all the percussion parts and then our trumpet player, Jay Smitherman, did the arrangement,” Adams said. “So it’s something we’ve never played before, something we have learned in the last week or two. It’ll be fun.”
This year was Adams third year as Martinsburg High School’s band director, and she says being back at the school she graduated from and running a program that she once participated in has been exciting for her.
“Being a former student here, going through the band program and coming back now, it’s outstanding to build the band program back up to what I remember it as when I was a student,” Adams said. “The kids are great, my staff is absolutely amazing and helpful, so it’s been a great year.