When Lenape High School Principal Tony Cattani leaves the building during the summer at about 4 p.m., he notices the same thing every day — the marching band.
The group arrives before 7 a.m. each morning and outlasts every staff member in the building as it continues to practice into the evening.
“Every day you see a group of kids performing on our fields, in our parking lot area, anywhere they can find about 15 square feet that they can march around and practice their instruments,” Cattani said.
He described them as some of the hardest working young men and women Lenape High School has to offer.
“I’m extremely proud of the students and what they do and how they represent Lenape High School,” he said.
Cattani also made sure to acknowledge the staff that coaches these young musicians and their parents who make it all possible, and the Lenape Regional High School District also honored the group at one of its recent meetings.
Steve Waldron has been at the helm directing this group for the past 15 years, creating a tradition of excellence by winning 12 state or national championships.
He’s designed the shows, arranged the music and written each movement for six of the past seven U.S. Bands Group 2 Open State Champions, including the most recent 2015 winner.
However, according to Waldron, taking home the state title is not the ultimate goal.
“The ultimate goal is that we are having a great time and enjoying what we do. Winning is just icing on the cake,” Waldron said.
Despite the success the program is used to having, Waldron makes it a point each year on the first day of the season to advise the new group that a championship is not promised, by any means.
“I can’t do that, I don’t have that capability. I can do a lot of things but I cannot do that,” Waldron said.
However, what Waldron can do is emphasize to his kids is hard work, dedication and time management skills.
A core pillar of Waldron’s teachings is to never miss an opportunity to improve yourself, regardless of how short that time period may be.
His group is one of the only teams at Lenape that takes advantage of “pre-homeroom time,” as it’s called.
While 10 extra minutes of practice a day doesn’t seem like much, it adds up to extra hours over the length of a season that most bands are not getting.
“That 10 minutes could be the difference at the end,” Waldron said.
Due to their dedication, he defers much of the program’s success to the kids who make the Lenape band what it is.
Waldron referred to the group as one that is not only very coachable but also takes ownership of the program while committing themselves to taking it to the next level.
Though the band faces stiff competition each year, it is constantly trying to find the stone it has left unturned to attain excellence.
Waldron also acknowledged that none of his success would be possible without the constant support of the parents and the administration.
Every year, the group comes up with a new show or new design. This year it used a desert theme, playing music from Lawrence of Arabia, Aladdin, Arabian Nights, The Bangles and even a jazzed-up version of Snake Charmer.
The snake that was created by Waldron and some of the parents out of PVC pipe, zip ties and fabric became a crowd favorite.
“The audience always had the same reaction, which was just pure elation,” Waldron said.
Along with several school-related competitions, the group also performed at the Miss America parade in Atlantic City last year.
Despite the winning nature Waldron has established, he still admits that what makes it all worth it is the reaction from the crowd.
“Having someone come up to you and tell you that we loved your show, we loved your enthusiasm, you were so much fun to watch, that beats any score or any placement,” he said.
