History
R.H.H.S. ROYAL BLUES marching band
- Originally, in the mid ‘70s, the band uniforms had a patch on the right shoulder of a “Terrier” - Mr. Gerster only had to hear one comment from another band, referring to the Rocky Hill girls as “those dogs” and he immediately began thinking of another name for the group. Thus, “The ROYAL BLUES” were born!
- School year - 1980-81 - Mr. Gerster hired two instructors, that he had taught with in the CT Classics Drum & Bugle Corps - Diane (Maloney)Farrell, to teach marching and color guard and Mark Cascio, to work with marching percussion.
Under direction of this staff, the Royal Blues began to prepare for the St Patrick’s Day and the Rocky Hill Memorial Day Parades. These events, up to this time, had been quite embarrassing for the new Rocky Hill Band Director and he was determined to make major improvements.
At this time, the only “Band outing” the band ever went to was the annual “UCONN BAND DAY” - were all the bands would march (shuffle)out on the UCONN football field and play as a “massed band”. In the spring of 1981, the UCONN band program initiated a “Field Show” - for the more advanced bands and a “Parade Competition” for bands who did not march a field show. This was a perfect goal for the Royal Blues to work towards, so in the fall of 1981, Saturday band rehearsals began….
In the inaugural UCONN Band Day Parade Competition, The Rocky Hill Royal Blues were awarded First Place !!!!!
The kids were ecstatic!!! Mr. Gerster and his staff were ecstatic !!!! The school Administration was also ecstatic - so much so, that every member of the band was given an engraved plaque commemorating the accomplishment!!!! The Band placed 1st in the Parade competition for 1981, 1982 and 1983!!! From there, of course, the next step was preparing a “field show”. “A what?” asked the Administration, “but, we don’t even have a football team to perform at half time for! We don’t even have a football FIELD!!!!” Not to worry, we’ll line one out ourselves with spray paint on a soccer field.
In 1984 The Royal Blues went to the UCONN Band Day and competed in the Field Show Competition. In the small band division they placed 3rd out of 4 bands. The 4th place band simply walked out on the field, stood there, and played. Almost beating us in the MUSIC caption…. We were definitely in the “big leagues” now….
This is also about the time we started referring to ourselves as “The Biggest Little High School Band in Connecticut”!!!
The first spring Music Festival trip the Royal Blues ever went on was the Heritage Music Festival in Newport, R.I. over the weekend of May 18, 19 and 20, 1984. The Band competed in Concert Band, Parade and Field Show, placing 4th in this 10 band field.. The next fall the band was competing in the Eastern Marching Band Association regular fall season primarily held at Fairfield County high schools.
- Another “change” for the Royal blues in the early 80’s was new percussion and guard uniforms. Aussie hats and white blouses became the “norm” for the drum line. If one looks at the early photos of the band they will also realize the original gold plumes on the hats(shakos) were only 6 inches tall. Mr. Gerster decided they needed a more “statuesque” appearance and for the school year 1986-87 bought 8 inch plumes - Royal Blues have since “stood (much) taller”!!! (The norm in D.C.I. Drum & Bugle Corps today is anywhere from 16 to 24 inches!!!!)
- In the spring of 1993, the Royal Blues Band Backers Assoc., finally arranged to raise the necessary funds and buy NEW UNIFORMS! The white pants were a struggle, but Mr. G finally convinced the Band Backers that the white pants would look oh, so “cool” on the field under the lights.
Important “milestones” for the
****The RHHS Band Backers have been a major supporting organization of the Royal Blues since the early 80’s. One memorable board of Education meeting, Band parent, Rose Frascarelli, addressed the Board and said, “Why do Band members have to Fund Raise (sell candy bars, etc.) to pay the stipends of marching band instructors? I thought the mission of the board of Education was to fund the education of the students?” Ever since, marching band staff members have been paid through Board of Ed. Budgetary funds (for quite a few years however, the part-time band staff made more money than the Band director for the over-time hours the marching band program entailed!!!).
- In 1994, Ken Goldberg and Larry Zarbo (Band parents) approached Mr. Gerster and asked, “why can’t RHHS put on a Band Competition?” Mr. Gerster was pessimistic, but they persisted and in 1995 planned to run the first annual ROYAL BLUES FIELD SHOW in the Rocky Hill H.S. soccer stadium! The Band had moved on from the E.M.B.A. (Eastern Marching Band Assoc.) and with the help of the U.S.S.B.A. (United States Scholastic Band Assoc.) made this dream a continuing reality as the Bands (and the TOWNS!) BIGGEST outdoor fundraiser of the year!!!!
- Standing in the “ready” position waiting to enter the field for competition, at the East Lyme Invitational, preparing to perform their “Pictures At an Exhibition” classical field show production, a band member asked Mr. Gerster, “Why don’t we do more FUN shows?” From that point on, THAT was the emphasis! 1997 - “A tribute to the music of the 60’s” - complete with Flower Power school bus, Hippie costumes and a giant Peace Sign. 1998 - “ A Trip to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras” - complete with a New Orleans-style jazz funeral and mid-season, a special “jam session” with the world famous “Hot Cat Jazz Band” in the auditorium!!! 1999-2000 brought “SWING into the 21st Century”, with music by Duke Ellington, Cab Callaway and Brian Setzer. 2000-2001, “Pirates!” - with a pirate ship, of course, and 2001-2002, our “Endless Summer” show, complete with a “tropical Island”, a lifeguard stand for a drum major’s podium, grass skirts on the drums (drummers all had bleach blonde hair!!!) and the music of Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys!!! The 2002-2003 show was entitled “A Magical Mystery Tour” and featured an around-the-world extravaganza of music and styles (C.C.S.U. Marching Band purchased this show shortly there after and brought it to even higher heights!!!). The 2003-2004 show was a “Circus” show with tumblers, acrobatics a revolving Big Top and all the classic circus music you can imagine - another FUN SHOW!
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In 2012, after years of fundraising, we were able to outfit the band with a new Drum line. Our silver Pearl line gives us a fresh new look
In 2013, an accident at the dry cleaners left us with tie-dyed white and blue pants.
In 2014, the band was moved to the auditorium for one year as our new music wing was being constructed. In September, we witnessed the demolition of the old band room.
Also, we made the move from white to black uniform pants!
In September of 2015 we moved into our new home the day before school started.
In 2016 the band premiered our new uniforms, which were made possible by a donation from the Rocky Hill Board of Education.
- Long time instructors who have made their impact on the Rocky Hill Band program include:
John “Cupcakes” Curran - who taught and arranged the visual program(drill & marching) from 1989 - 2005. A member of the D.C.A. Drum Corps Hall of Fame - “ A legend in his own mind”. Every student who participated in the Band during the “Cupcakes era”, recalls “Cakes” with much love.
John Moynihan - percussion - 1995 - 2005 - Drummers LOVED John - “He could say things to the drum line that Mr. Gerster would lose his job for, yet no one ever batted an eye…” (STILL one of Mr. Gerster’s BEST friends!)
Eric Halle - Member of the RHHS band for his 4 years in high school and percussion instructor ever since 1997- 2013
Cheryl (Tallerdy) Curran - Color Guard and Winter Guard(1994 - 98) Daughter-in-law of “Cupcakes”. Credited in starting and maintaining the Royal Blues Winter Guard program.
Christina (Loomis) Halle - Color Guard - 1998- 2013
Rick Vale- Assistant Band Director- Present
Many other Band Instructors have worked, and still work with many Connecticut high school bands:
Bob Rush (perc.), Jennifer Laflame (Guard), George and Debbie (Gurrieri)Maloney, Geoff Brown (perc.), Ray and Robin Clark (visual & guard), Kim Nardone (Guard), John Curran Jr. (drill), Anthony Cusano (alum. - perc.), Mike Pence (guard/visual), Kim Radtke (guard), Mike Blancaflor (pit/perc.), Cody Broadway (Drum Line), Mike Pence (Visual), Jennifer Beaty (Guard).
Directors-
Jack Gerster 1978-2004
Thomas Krupa 2004-2007
Aaron Burgess 2007-2010
Jim Shuman 2010-