Everyday, in class and after school, band teacher Adam Shekleton teaches his students in preparation for their performances. One of those performances is the yearly Apple Blossom parade, which is a part of the Apple Blossom festival.
In this year’s Apple Blossom parade which took place on May 18, the Westford Academy marching band is performing the song Hey Baby by Bruce Channel and Margaret Cobb. The marching band has been a part of the Apple Blossom parade for a long time.
The high school marching band works with the middle school band for the parade, however they collaborate often during the school year. During the fall, the high school band and some eighth graders who are interested in pursuing band in high school perform at Westford Academy home football games.
“We do a collaborative event with the eighth graders there as well where we invite them out to sit in and play with us at football games.” said Shekleton.
In order for the two bands to play together at the Apple Blossom Parade, they have to have several separate rehearsals to make sure that they have the best possible performance. The two bands start thinking about the parade as early as January and they start communicating about the song they want to play. They tried to give themselves at least over a month to practice and rehearse with the other band so they are prepared and ready to perform at the upcoming event.
Shekleton often shares a story with his students about the impact they can make on people’s lives. He hopes that by sharing the story people will feel as like he felt when he experienced the story.
“I went to my town’s festival parade, called the Springtime Festival. The middle school band [was playing], not even the high school band, and the bass drums were playing and I felt that bass drum in my chest when I was super small,” Shekleton said. “And I was like I want to do that thing. And then here I am, however many years later, I’m a percussionist, and I’m doing that thing.”
Shekleton credits his love for band to that one band member who he heard as a child but he will never know, and the spring parade that started it all. The percussionist will never know how they affected him and others. Shekleton hopes that he can pass this on and influence many others to love band as much as he does.
