By Aiden Ramos – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Band, led by Director Mr. Pelaggi, is back and ready for the new 2024-2025 school year. 

The band has been working tirelessly to prepare for halftime shows at the football games and for their upcoming concerts. They have their Winter Concert scheduled for December 18 and their Spring Concert set for May 6.

The band has many events planned, but Pelaggi has one that he is looking forward to the most.

“I would say it would have to be the night that we have the 8th graders with us at the football game on October 10,”  Pelaggi said. “Both sets of 8th graders from West Shore and Harborside come in to work with us and perform in the football game, it is always a really fun performance for those kids and good for the older kids to be able to reach out and help some of the younger kids and start to shepherd them into the program.”

 Band members spent the last week of the summer training for its fall performances.

“During the last week of summer, the band had band camp from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,” senior trumpet player Peter Gill said.  “It was a real commitment but it helped us prepare for football games, learn our music, learn our marching techniques and just come together and build our friendships as a community.” `

With many returning members and highly anticipated concert music, band members have a lot to look forward to. 

Sophomore tuba player Henry Conroy is excited to play with the band again this year but with a different role. Conroy recently switched from tenor sax to tuba.

“I wanted to switch to tuba because our other tuba player graduated last year, it took a lot of hard work but it was worth it,” Conroy said. ”the band didn’t sound as complete without him and I wanted to make the baseline sound more full.”  

The Jonathan Law band offers a concert band, marching band, and jazz band which is a 9th-period class after school.

“I like concert band the most; it is the most simple,” sophomore drummer Ethan Panella said. “There is a much wider variety of songs that we play.”

The band has a new lineup of spectacular songs that they will be performing this year.

“My favorite song that we are playing has to be ´Havana,’” sophomore clarinet player Chris Rivera said. “it is catchy, popular, and easy to play for the clarinet section.”