The Edison marching band has brought home multiple championships in a history-making season. 

On October 29, 2022, at Hillsborough High School, the Edison marching band competed in the US Bands State Championships against four schools in its division. The next day, the marching band competed at The College of New Jersey in the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA) Championships against ten other bands. 

EHS’s 2022 season’s show, titled “Chaos Order,” uses contrasting elements to its advantage. Unorganized ‘chaos’ contradicts a more elegant ‘order,’ and the show implements the unity of both elements at the end of the show. In the ‘chaos’ section of the show, Verdi’s piece “Dies Irae” is featured. The show additionally features a slowed version of the popular song “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel in its second movement. In the third movement, an accelerated version of Modest Mussorgsky’s piece “The Great Gate of Kiev” is played. 

“The kids loved this year’s show and music. Our staff and the students helped work to make the show entertaining and visually and musically appealing,” said Band Director Mr. Marc Denicuolo. 

After two consecutive days of practice and performances, the marching band came home as double-state champions.

“I loved this year’s show. It was physically demanding, but it was so fun to perform,” said Anika Yadavalli ‘26. 

“The kids worked very hard. They listened, they practiced, and they followed directions well,” said Denicuolo. 

One week later, on November 5, 2022, the Edison marching band performed at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With their last performance of the season at the US Bands National Championships, the band ended their season with a win. 

The marching band took home the national championship and received additional caption awards for best music, visual and general effects, with a score of 96.50. Each caption award is awarded to one band in the division that displays outstanding performance in a specific category. 

“I would say that this year is one of the best marching bands we have ever had,” said Denicuolo. 

This year’s marching band season has made Edison High history, but that isn’t without the diligent and persevering members and their passion for marching band.

“Winning was not easy, I would say. It took a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s cliche, but I put blood, sweat, and tears into this activity and to come out as a BOA (Bands of America) finalist, 2x state champs, and national champions makes it all worth it,” said Color Guard Captain Brianna Foster ‘23. “ I can’t fully speak for the rest of the group, but I can say, we’re all super proud of ourselves and each other.” 

“Band camp is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was so worth it,” added Tina Thomas ‘26. 

“Celebrating our success this season felt incredibly fulfilling. I’m so proud of every member of this team. Nothing can top the dedication and commitment we put onto the field and it all paid off in the end,” said Clarinet Section Leader Ayrya Parisa ‘24. 

Denicuolo agrees with the trending student sentiment.  

“Student leadership was very strong and was one of the main reasons of this year’s success,” noted Denicuolo. 

Many of the members have personal connections to this year’s season through shared  experiences. For many, the ending of the season is bittersweet. 

“Nationals was the best moment of the season. Through it all, I didn’t care whether we won or not,” stated Parisa. “Knowing that it was my last time performing ‘Chaos Order’ with this incredible group of people was all that consumed my mind and it was a bittersweet moment.”

Marching band was not only a sport but also family to participants.

“I was able to build new friendships and bond with [other marching band members],” said Brittany Lin ‘25. 

“The best part of the season was definitely the bus rides back home after winning a competition. It really gave me a break from life. Marching band becomes your second family,” stated Stella Wong ‘25. 

Many participants recommend the activity to others. 

“I would recommend marching band because it’s a very unique experience and everyone should experience it. While it is stressful at times, you truly get to connect with people and have fun,” said Yadavalli. 

As the 2022 season comes to an end, the band is excited for its next season. 

“We are going to miss the seniors very much. But, I am excited for the next season, as our underclassmen have a lot of potential,” said Denicuolo.