What made you decide to be a color guard or instrumental?

Diana (colorguard): Originally, I never learned how to play an instrument and when I first saw the color guard, I thought they were really good and pretty waving a flag around, so I decided to be a color guard.

Gabriel (Instrumental): Well, initially I wasn’t really familiar with the marching band. I was kind of forced into it but after I had seen them in-person and then finished up the first practice I thought that it was a pretty good program. And the drums were my personal favorite.

Ms. Dizon: Fun Fact! Gabriel was originally supposed to join the marching band to learn how to play the guitar! 

Markalah: Oh really, I didn’t know that.

Myiera: Oh, really?

Ms. Dizon: Yes! The first time I met his mother she said, “ Can you teach him guitar,” and I said, “Well, we have drums!” But Gabriel started on bass drums and worked his way up to drum captain.

How long have you been in the marching band?

Diana (Color guard): About 4 years now.

Gabriel (Instrumental): 6 years.

What was your favorite moment when you were in the marching band?

Diana (Color guard): That feeling when we got first place at Arlington.

Gabriel (Instrumental): Well, a few are when everybody got to travel to Syracuse and some nice stuff that the drummers and I used to do and when we got first place.

If you didn’t join the marching band, what would you be doing right now?

Diana (Color guard): Um….. nothing.

Ms. Dizon: Really? You wouldn’t even join the dance club for me?

Diana (Color guard): Oh, there’s that!

Ms. Dizon: You wouldn’t join a sport? You wouldn’t be in some kind of academics?

*Diana shakes her head no*

Ms. Dizon: Ok. Kakiat pride!

What was your first experience joining the marching band like?

Gabriel (Instrumental): Alright, so for me it was pretty intimidating, I’m not going to lie. There were a lot of older people and it just seemed like I wouldn’t be able to match what they did. But, after a while like after being there for like a week, I think I got used to them and I ended up there.

Diana (Color guard): Yeah, I have to agree with him. It was more intimidating, but also weird because you're the newbie and you know everyone else is higher so you have to work your way up. 

Who inspired you to become the music teacher that you are today?

Ms. Dizon: Who inspired me to become the music teacher that I am today? I guess it was kind of a combination of a lot of things. Music was the one thing that I was really good at when I was younger and so it was kind of like the path that I was always on. So, from elementary school through high school I was involved in all of the music band based things and I guess by the time I got to my senior year of high school that really felt like my only option and the only option that I was really comfortable with doing, was to go into music education. I did have push back from my parents because they did not necessarily see it as a practical career but that’s also a cultural thing. They would’ve preferred that I got into a medical field and so when I finally got support from them to actually pursue a music education degree. I think my college experience and the teachers and professors that I had there were really big influences plus, of course, the teachers that I had in East Ramapo. It was all just a combination of all teachers who were really supportive. 

More information about Gabriel and Diana:

• Gabriel Logan, Senior at Ramapo High School, Drum Captain and Assistant Drum Major

• Diana Georges, Junior at Ramapo High School, Co-Color Guard Captain