Whitman Middle School eighth graders got a preview of high school band life when they joined the Wauwatosa West Pep Band for the final home boys basketball game of the season on February 26th.
“Pep Band is one of the rare opportunities where students are guaranteed the chance to play music of more popular genres, like pop, rock, and hip hop,” said Mark Wampfler, Wauwatosa West Band Director.
The song selection covers a wide range of genres, featuring classics like “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett, modern hits, and band favorites such as “Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.
“This performance also helps simulate a real-world gig environment. Students are not told what songs they play until 30 minutes before the start of the show,” Wampfler said. “It’s a chance to learn about music as a ‘service’ rather than just an ‘art.’ Music as service is an important, but often overlooked, part of the music world.”
The eighth-grade band is invited to Pep Band to help students get excited about taking band at West. The jump from middle school band to high school band is significant, and often deters students from continuing in their musical education.
By playing with current high school students, eighth graders get an opportunity to feel what it’s like to play in a much bigger band, which can be intimidating for most. This event helps ease that discomfort and builds positive momentum for the coming years.
The high school band curriculum is more encompassing than the eighth-grade curriculum, covering marching, concert/symphonic, pep, solo and ensemble, and other additional opportunities such as pit orchestra, jazz band, and color and winter guard.
“This allows students to connect with some high school role models that showcase where their music can take them over the next four years,” Wampfler added.
A current freshman, Avery McCanna-Coolidge, attended the event as an eighth grader and said, “It made it easier to learn names, and everybody wasn’t a complete stranger.” The experience also “made the band look a lot more fun, and the songs seemed fun to play.”
This was the final Pep Band performance of the year, a season which typically spreads six games across both boys and girls basketball. However, if either basketball team makes a deep run into the playoffs, more Pep Band dates may be added.
Keep an eye out for upcoming events such as Solo and Ensemble, Spring Band Concert, Elementary Band Fest, and the Spring Jazz Concert running in tandem with the Art Department’s Art Showcase.
Mr. Wampfler is currently busy writing an original marching show titled “Dark Side of the Rainbow.” The show will feature the music of Pink Floyd set to The Wizard of Oz visuals, where you can see the current eighth graders (incoming freshmen) march their first show as Wauwatosa West Trojans.
Marching band starts before the school year and helps incoming freshmen become more familiar with current students and the high school setting before stepping into a new building.
