News
RB Middle School Band Wows Crowd At Centennial Picnic
By Ryan Fennell
RED BANK - Following last Saturday's parade kicking off Red Bank's Centennial Celebration, marchers and Red Bank residents gathered for a picnic in Count Basie Park.
Refreshments were served while children played touch football and had their faces painted.
To the surprise and delight of those in attendance the main attraction turned out to be the debut of the Red Bank Middle School Band. Headed by band director Holcombe Hurd, the band, also known as "Zooey and the Procrastinators," featured rock 'n' roll music from the late 1960s.
Students ranging from fourth through eighth grade displayed various musical talents that included drum kits, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals and a brass section. The band played selections ranging from Sergeant Pepper's to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" to Cream's "White Room."
"Everybody couldn't get over the fact that this was coming out of our middle school," Red Bank Councilwoman Mary Grace Cangemi said. "The whole town came out and saw something that they didn't know was going on."
On Monday afternoon the band played a special open performance in the Middle School music room. Parents as well as music students from Red Bank Regional High School attended. Cangemi was also in attendance along with the Head of Giving from Berklee College of Music Marjorie O'Malley.
The band played a similar set to the one performed at Saturday's picnic and gained significant praise from O'Malley.
"It's remarkable," O'Malley said after the performance. "It was really good, tight, Rock 'n' Roll. It's great to see more contemporary music like this and see the kids get passionate about it."
O'Malley discussed the possibilities available to the students if they continued to seriously pursue music. She noted that Berklee offers programs in music production and management as well as performance.
O'Malley also stressed the importance of taking the craft seriously if they were thinking about attending a school like Berklee.
According to O'Malley, Berklee only accepted 29 percent of applicants last year and only takes those who are really serious about furthering their musical education. "We are looking for people with original thoughts in music. We are looking for people who are really serious," she said.
Hurd addressed his students during rehearsal and pointed out that being in a band was more than just the way it plays the music.
"Bands are judged on looks, on the way they approach the music, and they are judged on whether they "stand up" or not," Hurd said. "Most bands you can tell how they're going to play before they play the first note."
Hurd said that someone could tell the kind of commitment a band has by how early they show up to set up.
Hurd expressed pride in the band's performance at the Red Bank Centennial picnic and said that they had accomplished a big part of what being in a band is about. "The aim is to be a curiosity," Hurd said. "To be a band that defies expectations."
Hurd found ways to get equipment for the kids and stresses the importance of knowing all aspects of what is going on with each instrument during a performance.
He also hopes that the program can continue to expand in an effort to "build a bridge" to continuing with the study of music into high school and beyond.
"I have tremendous respect for these kids," Hurd said. "This is the reason I wanted to do this in the first place - to reach out to kids like this. When all is said and done I love my job."
Hurd noted that the music program has grown considerably in recent years with a new level of commitment from several angles.
"Since the new superintendent arrived there has been a renewed commitment to the performing arts and the expansion of music program, the expansion of the band program including the primary school," Hurd said.
The Red Bank Middle School Band will be performing publicly again on June 10th at the Middle School. Later in the summer the band will also be participating in Jazz in the Park in Red Bank.
