A fun part of attending football games is seeing the West Morris Central Highlander Marching Band in action. The WMC Highlander Marching Band is excited to announce its drum majors for the 2023 season: seniors Will Holezel and Erin Meehan.
Hoelzel is a member of the WMC Concert Band, the WMC auditioned group: the Wind Ensemble, the WMC Orchestra, the WMC Jazz Band, the WMC Pit Orchestra, and the West Morris Regional Symphony Orchestra. His primary instrument is percussion, mastering playing the snare drum, marimba, drum set, and any auxiliary percussion instruments. He is the “first chair” in the WMC Wind Ensemble and the WMR Symphony Orchestra; in the other of his ensembles, he is the only percussionist. This year, he is learning the string bass in the orchestra and occasionally practices the French horn during his band classes.
Meehan is a member of the WMC Wind Ensemble, playing clarinet, and two choir groups: the Treble Chorus Tuesday night group, and the Howlers Acapella group. Outside of music-related activities, she is on the WMC’s girl’s basketball team, is in the International Cultural Arts Club, REACH, PAWS (Pack appreciates women’s sports), and is a Peer Tutor!
Both Hoelzel and Meehan discovered their passions for music during their elementary school years. Hoelzel has been in percussion since he was in fourth grade. He was inspired by his dad who played the organ and thought “That is really cool, I want to do that one day.” Meehan has been playing the clarinet since fifth grade. She recalls her parents “wanted me to at least try it and it just happened I liked it so much that I decided to keep going with it” Despite the COVID-19 pandemic occurring mid-way through their eighth-grade year, they still continuously practiced their craft and continued it into high school.
Hoelzel and Meehan are very passionate about being in the Highlander Marching Band and are so thrilled to take part in this year’s halftime show Coast 2 Coast. Before becoming the drum majors, Hoelzel was a Drum Captain playing the snare drum for the previous year and Meehan was in the clarinet section for three years. They both decided to join the Marching Band because of their experience at the eighth-grade marching band introduction night; they both saw what a community marching band was, not only musically, but socially.
Hoelzel and Meehan have bright futures, Hoelzel wants to “follow in his dad’s footsteps in the field of medicine.” Unlike his dad who is a pediatrician, Hoelzel intends to major in psychology in hopes of getting a medical degree and intends to further his passion for music by getting a minor degree in music. On the other hand, Meehan hopes to get a doctorate in physical therapy and get a bachelor’s degree in health science. Whatever paths they choose in life, music will always be something they rely on.
