“We are that band,” said Carlos Coronado.
Coronado is a drum major of the Brewster High School Marching Band. Loren Salguero is the other drum major. Although they come from different musical backgrounds, they are the student leaders that helped revive the band from pandemic numbers and got the group to Disney World.
“The band was probably down to 20 students because of COVID, now we are at 90,” explained Loren.
Andrea Perdicho, the band director, has worked really hard to recruit students and encourage student leaders. Disney was also an incentive.
“I wasn’t an obvious choice for drum major,” explained Carlos, “I play soccer, run track, and didn’t join marching band until sophomore year.”
Loren on the other hand, plays multiple instruments, was a section leader in band, takes multiple music classes, plays in multiple ensembles and plans to go to music school for college.
But the pairing was a match which made way for beautiful music.
“Loren and Carlos made a great team,” said Perdicho, “Loren is extremely organized, always puts the band first, tried to make a personal relationship with every member of the band, and the students felt comfortable coming to her with problems or conflicts. She also held each and every member accountable for knowing their music and staying on task during practice. Carlos was our hype man. He is the guy you want in a parade and on the field when it’s cold and raining. If you’re in the 3rd hour and fatigue sets in, he’s going to help infuse the band with energy to make every performance their best one. He’s a great role model for our young men in band and provided proof that yes, you can play multiple sports and do marching band. Both of them were the perfect pair to have as drum majors in a trip year. Not only are there hours of rehearsal, but hours of planning. I counted on both of them to give me the student perspective in decision making, keep the band motivated, and hold the performers to an extremely high level.”
“We actually went to Drum Major Academy last summer to learn leadership skills, which was really helpful for connecting with students and being prepared for anything,” said Loren.
During the year, they met weekly with Perdicho to discuss music, dynamics, recruitment, rehearsals and planning for the trip. The band worked hard all year–marching in parades at the Barclay Center and on St. Patrick’s Day and in cold conditions. Their sacrifices paid off when they got to Disney.
“It was surreal marching down Main Street USA. It was the first time I had ever gone on an airplane. It was the first time to Disney for me and many of the band members. All the practice in the cold and snow paid off. Playing “Let’s Get Loud” in the rain at Disney was a breeze. We sounded great.”
“The best part of the trip for me was that everyone connected. We bonded and everyone had an amazing time. It was my first time at Disney,” explained Loren, “I posted pictures on Instagram and said “Fairy Tales Can Come True at 18!” This band is like my family. It’s been such a great year I don’t want it to end.”
