Following the completed first semester, the 2022 winter break gives students different opportunities to reset and rejuvenate themselves before the second half of the school year gets underway.  Many students travel to visit far away family. Some may have busy schedules here at home.  And others may choose to sit at home and just relax.  For the Pride of Warsaw Band, their winter break included a trip to Memphis, Tennessee where they were invited to participate in this year’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl events.  

   “The process for our band to attend the festivities this year started about a year ago,” Warsaw R-9 Superintendent Scott Gemes said.  “Our band got approval from the school board and then worked with Worldstrides to find the most appropriate event for them to attend.  They then helped them set up the trip.”

   The trip was not necessarily an inexpensive one, but students were afforded opportunities to raise funds to help defray the cost.

   “The trip was funded by students raising their own money,” Gemes said.  “The band boosters and other businesses helped as well.”

   Aside from figuring out how they would be able to make the trip, students were also busy preparing for their performances once they got there.

   “Aside from practices during class time, our band held additional practices on Mondays throughout the months of November and December,” Head Drum Major junior Alyson Alcantara said.  “During those practices, we focused on memorizing music for both the Liberty Bowl and Beale Street, and we worked on improving our marching technique.”

   Gemes acknowledged that he had been to Memphis prior to this trip, but had never actually stayed in the city itself. He attended the trip as an administrative supervisor.

   “I definitely got the opportunity to see some great parts of Memphis,” Gemes commented.

   Prior to their performance at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl football game, the students took advantage of an additional chance to march in the event’s parade on the notorious Beale Street in Memphis’ downtown district.

   Other sites and events the group was able to take in on their trip included: the Liberty Bowl Rodeo, a private party at Incredible Pizza, Graceland, the Bass Pro Pyramid, a meal at Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street and the Civil Rights Museum.

   “Our band traveled to so many exciting places,” Alcantara said.

   “I had multiple highlights on the trip,” Gemes said.  “From walking on Beale Street with the band, to going up the Bass Pro Pyramid elevator, to attending the Civil Rights Museum.”

    Freshman trumpeter Ayden Burdick’s favorite part of the trip was centered around a meal.  

    “The highlight of my trip was being at Incredible Pizza with my friends,” he said.

   However, naturally, the pinnacle of everyone’s trip was the performances themselves.

   “It was quite exciting to perform at these famous places,” Alcantara said.  “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

  She added, “The parade had people shoulder-to-shoulder cheering for and singing with us.  The halftime show was televised in front of over 50,000 people and even more at home. To play alongside bands from across America and Starship was amazing!  The fans were singing along with our music!  It is an experience I will always cherish.”   “Seeing all of the people in the crowd was my favorite part,” Burdick went on to say.

   Gemes beamed with pride at the same thing.

   “My favorite part was walking on the field to watch the Pride of Warsaw Band perform at halftime of the Liberty Bowl with thousands of people watching them,” he said.  “They were nervous, but focused.”

   To conclude the event’s schedule, the band was also invited to attend a recognition dinner and dance on Thursday in which they all took part.  Their participation paid off when they were announced as the winner of the 2022 AutoZone LIberty Bowl Spirit Award.  The annual award is said to be one presented to the program “who best embodies the definition of sportsmanship by positively representing their school and showing an overall enthusiasm and respect for performing arts at the Liberty Bowl.”

   It was an excursion that not many will ever forget anytime soon.  It was an opportunity afforded to and exploited by Warsaw students.  It was a time of bonding; a time of friendship; a time of fun.