On the not-so-bright yet oh-so-very-early Saturday morning of October 12th, CHS’s very own marching band took on the 2024 Ludwig-Musser Classic competition at MetLife Stadium! They took to the field at 9:28 A.M. and began their performance of H-O-M-E. 

When asked for comment prior to the performance, Mr. Chernosky, one of the band directors as well as CHS’s own concert band & orchestra director, stated, “I think it’s awesome that we have an opportunity to march at MetLife… It’s easy to stay at home and say you could have [marched there], but it’s a lot harder to actually go out there and do it”.

For a handful of members of the band, however, this wouldn’t actually be their first time performing at the stadium, as 3 years ago the band had the chance to perform the show Undercover at MetLife Stadium as a result of the school’s football team making it to the season’s final match. Because of this, a large portion of the band’s senior class had the opportunity to perform at the stadium their freshman year. One of these seniors in question is Andrew Cisneros, a snare drummer and drum major who is responsible for leading the band through the show’s second movement Homesick. He regarded the moment as being “just really odd” and remarked that “it was really cool being on that field again with a different perspective as drum major, too. But it was just really cool.”

Ms. Mockoviak, another one of the marching band’s directors in addition to a band teacher for various of the township’s elementary and middle schools, following the performance went on to comment that “bringing a band to MetLife is something that I feel every high school marching band member should experience at least once, so being able to provide that opportunity for this group was just overall a whirlwind-special-day knowing that they have worked so hard to accomplish all that they have so far.” She went on to describe her genuine pride in being part of the reason as to why the group was able to receive this opportunity and how pleased she was to see everyone’s reactions to playing in such a stadium and hearing their instruments there, as well as  the pure excitement that each of the members exuded throughout the awards ceremony. 

Speaking of which, the band placed 1st in the competition’s Regional A group! We are immensely proud of the hard and strenuous work that the students of the band have been putting in since as early as this past spring and we would like to sincerely congratulate them on their incredible win!