As a part of an inaugural nationwide competitors the famend heavy steel musicians created, Oakton Excessive Faculty’s band re-created a Metallica concert on its area in Vienna, Va. Primarily utilizing conventional marching band devices, Oakton’s band performed 5 Metallica songs and wore costumes adorned with wigs and chains to seem like Metallica’s guitarists and drummers.
Greater than 450 excessive colleges and faculties entered the competitors. On Sunday, Metallica announced that Oakton was one of many 4 excessive colleges to win. The Fairfax County faculty will obtain $15,000 to spend on musical tools.
Jamie VanValkenburg, Oakton’s band director, informed The Washington Publish that he thought the competitors can be enjoyable, however he didn’t count on to win.
“I’m nonetheless type of processing it,” stated VanValkenburg, 48. “It’s like nothing that’s ever occurred to our program earlier than.”
In April, VanValkenburg noticed an announcement video for Metallica’s competitors on social media. VanValkenburg had been a Metallica fan since he was in center faculty, when he watched the band’s music video for “One” virtually on daily basis on MTV. He later purchased virtually all the band’s albums.
However when VanValkenburg informed his Gen Z band protégés in June in regards to the competitors, many weren’t as acquainted with Metallica, which fashioned in 1981. Chloe French, a senior who performs the trumpet, stated she solely knew just a few of Metallica’s songs — primarily by way of her father.
After studying in regards to the contest, Oakton’s band members listened to Metallica songs throughout band class, of their free time and on bus rides. They targeted on the 5 songs they deliberate to play — “The Unforgiven,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “Flip the Web page,” “The Reminiscence Stays” and “Enter Sandman.”
“I used to be curious of how we might flip that style of music right into a marching band present,” French stated.
Whereas Metallica sometimes performs with a singer, two guitarists, a drummer and a bassist, Oakton’s band wanted sheet music for greater than a dozen marching band devices, together with trumpets, trombones, saxophones, tubas, flutes, and bass and snare drums. VanValkenburg labored with Kent Baker, a former skilled musician who assists Northern Virginia highschool bands, to write down the notes.
They made some changes, equivalent to chopping down the lengthy buildups Metallica began some songs with. One Oakton pupil owned a guitar, so the band leaned on that instrument and the sousaphones to play the songs’ bass. The band used flutes, clarinets and trumpets to play the songs’ melodies. VanValkenburg, who has directed Oakton’s band since 2012, additionally put to make use of a drum set the varsity owned.
In the meantime, VanValkenburg stated the band members’ dad and mom deliberate the decorations. They made a small stage the percussionists, guitarist and drummer might play on. The stage’s makeshift black curtain stated “PARADE TO BLACK” in silver letters — a pun on Metallica’s tune “Fade to Black.”
Oakton’s band started rehearsing in July and practiced three days per week when faculty began. In August, the band carried out for the primary time at halftime of the varsity’s dwelling soccer sport.
The present started with French enjoying the trumpet to duplicate the ability ballad “The Unforgiven.” Some members wore black leather-based garments and chains, staples of 80s heavy steel.
VanValkenburg needed to incorporate a stunning second close to the top. That got here when members placed on the punk-style wigs and walked onto the sector displaying “rock on” hand gestures. French thought the wigs had been uncommon, however after throwing one on through the first present, she felt an adrenaline rush when the viewers cheered.
The band refined its marching and dancing all through the autumn. VanValkenburg needed to document the almost nine-minute efficiency in a quiet setting, so he booked the soccer area one evening in October as dad and mom recorded the present on video cameras.
Whereas reviewing the video, VanValkenburg stated he thought for the primary time that his band had an opportunity of profitable. Oakton entered the “small highschool” class, which encompassed bands with fewer than 75 members (Oakton has about 70 members.)
A panel of six music lecturers from throughout the US narrowed the candidates to 5 finalists for every class final month. Throughout band class on the day of the announcement, VanValkenburg listed the finalists on a display however didn’t inform his college students something. Once they finally seemed on the display, they cheered.
Nonetheless, VanValkenburg was desirous to see which bands Metallica would choose as winners.
On Sunday, VanValkenburg stated he was watching soccer at his Fairfax Metropolis dwelling when a buddy texted him that Oakton had received. The winners had been announced on ESPN.
When he seemed on-line, VanValkenburg confirmed the information and despatched an e-mail to the band’s workers, members and boosters. At college final week, band members re-watched their efficiency and mirrored on humorous rehearsal recollections, equivalent to dashing to place their wigs on and the smoke machine malfunctioning.
VanValkenburg stated he plans on utilizing the prize cash to purchase new percussion devices. He hopes to make a plaque to commemorate Oakton’s win.
“It’s the type of factor that’s going to stay with the varsity for a very long time,” VanValkenburg stated.