By Petra Chesner
Schlatter
Staff Editor
If they could, they would march to China - instruments in hand.
Exhilarated and enthusiastic, members of the Pennsbury High School Marching Band will have the chance of a lifetime during a Tour of Hong Kong. A total of 160 students, parents and faculty will leave Friday, March 21.
The question is: Will any them really sleep on the airplane? Having fun is a major part of what it’s all about. Four musicians sat down with Frank Mazzeo, band director, to talk about the trip with the Yardley News.
Adam Greenfield, 15, plays the tenor saxophone and the clarinet. “I’m expecting this is going to be a trip of a lifetime and I have so many expectations.. .I never thought I would have the opportunity to do anything like this.” Adam sold candy bars and helped at car washes
raise funds. “We washed many cars!”
Being in the marching band “has helped me in a lot of ways: to be more organized and regimented.”
Chad Willard, 16, plays base drum in the marching band. “I’m expecting to have a lot of fun, but at the same time learn and experience another culture.” He said taking a trip to Hong Kong never crossed his mind “- not with all our troop of friends.”
Marching band has helped him be “more disciplined and make a lot of new friends” since he was new to the school.
Chad had help raising money for the trip. “We know a hairdresser, who sells candy for us. She put it in her shop.”
Hannah Gibbons, 15, plays the flute. “I expect to have an amazing time doing something that I never thought I’d get this opportunity. Going to Hong Kong is not something people do every day at my age.
“Being in the band has helped me become more organized and disciplined. I was new to the school, too. I knew absolutely no one and now my best friends are in the marching band.” To raise funds, Hannah sold M & M’s and Avon.
Logan Jenkins, 16, plays the trumpet. “There’s been a big hype about this trip. I am actually doing a graduation project on the trip and the band itself.
“I never thought I’d be playing with such a great group of musicians or playing for such a large group of people.”
For Logan, being in the marching band has “helped me meet a lot of new friends. Like Hannah, I was new to the school district. Having such a big school, it was nice having people you know get you to class.”
Raising money was not a problem for him. “My mom used to be an Avon lady. So, she mostly sold Avon to everybody.”
Mazzeo and his students are celebrating in more ways than one. Not only are they going to perform half way across the world in a huge arena, but the cost of the trip is less intimidating for students since a very successful whirlwind of fundraising activities. Everything from candy bars, Avon products and car washes helped ring in the cash.
The trip costs $3,250 per student.
“The Pennsburg High School Marching Band has successfully raised the money — over half-a-million dollars for their Tour of Hong Kong,” said Mazzeo.
“The funds came many different ways,” Mazzeo pointed out. “The lion’s share of the funds was raised by the students directly through sales within the community. “There were a few corporate donations of which the Pennsburg teachers union was the second largest ‘corporate’ or ‘semi-corporate’ donation,” Mazzeo said. “There were over a dozen teachers, administrators, alumni, alumni parents and staff members who directly supported specific students, who were having a difficult time raising money.”
The “Long Orange Line” will perform on Avenue of the Stars, The Chinese Cultural Center, and a parade down Main Street USA in Hong Kong Disneyland and at the Hong Kong Sevens International Rugby Tournament. Pennsburg will have the half-time entertainment at “Asia’s Super bowl” where the student musicians will perform in front of 40,000 people live at Hong Kong Stadium and to over 50 million people via television.
The marching band will perform the field show, which was done throughout the year. There will be Souza marches and a Disney medley for parades. The Pennsburg Concert Jazz Band (PCJB) will perform Thad Jones music, Channel One Suite and Softly as I Leave You. In addition to performing, the group will see the sights, including the China Sea, Avenue of the Stars, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Harbor, three monasteries, and two museums, Stanley Market, Tao Fishing Village and Symphony of Lights. They will ride in Sam pan boats.
Pennsburg band members will meet up with the Hong Kong High School Marching Band. Mazzeo said a representative of the band said, “We have the largest marching band in Hong Kong. We have 40 members.” He asked how many Pennsburg has. “I said 125!”
Mazzeo, who has been with Pennsburg school district for 22 years, said
the Hong Kong project is the biggest venture for him yet. “It’s the biggest because of how big the audience is and how much money was raised.”
Magnitude of the trip aside, Mazzeo stated, “There’s additionally learning that comes into that process. They learn there’s a cost for things. They realize the hard work that goes into something like this. They worked hard to raise the money.”
Because of the trip, there have been more band rehearsals. Sometimes rehearsals will last four to five hours.
The band will arrive back home in the early hours of the morning on April 1.
 

PENNSBURY BOOSTERS
TO RAISE FUNDS FOR
TRIP WITH GOLF OUTING

The Pennsbury Band Boosters will host their 2nd Annual Golf ‘n’ Jazz
Outing at the Makefield Highlands Golf Course in Lower Makefield Township on Thursday, May 15 to support Pennsbury High School instrumental music programs. Individuals, businesses and organizations are encouraged to support the event through sponsor-ships, donations and as individual golfers and corporate teams.
The morning events begin with a continental breakfast, followed by a shotgun start and best-ball outing format. Putting, driving, hole-in-one and other contests are planned for the benefit with prizes and awards given at the barbecue luncheon.
The 41st Annual Jazz at Pennsbury will take place at the Pennsbury High School East auditorium that evening at 6 p.m. Featured will be five bands from the school district, including the Pennsbury Concert Jazz Band. The band members will perform selections, which they performed in Hong Kong. Golfers and non- golfers are all invited to attend.
The boosters provide funds to support the activities of numerous students within the Pennsbury school district as they pursue an interest in the arts. This year, most of the funds will be used to help off-set the costs of the bands’ performances during the trip to Hong Kong.
“The local community has been a tremendous support to the instrumental program, especially this year with the expenses of the Hong Kong trip,” said David Willard, the outings chairman.
“Last year, our first outing was a huge success. This year, we need the community’s continued support to assist the students’ fundraising activities for the trip. Come and support the bands — bring a friend or a foursome and enjoy a wonderful morning of golf while raising much needed funds.”
For more information or to register for the event, contact David Willard at 215-802-4132 or willard@medcommedia.com.