Golden Hawks Regiment

“Together As One, an Interview with Mr. Michael Biasi”

by Ben Johnson ︱ October 12, 2021

The color guard member dressed in purple runs across the field carrying what looks to be a large piece of deep purple glass. She arrives at the nearly completed frame of what seemed to be disjointed parts until she places the piece she was carrying. The piece goes in creating the completed picture: stained-glass. The many fragments come together to create a beautiful whole.

What does all this mean? This is what you'll see if you’re lucky enough to watch the award-winning Golden Hawks Regiment (Marching Band) show this year. This is a show that has conquered trials and tribulations. “We have been pretty broken for the last eighteen months, especially last year being in ‘Virtual Land,’ not being in school and not being able to do anything,” says Mr. Biasi, who is more affectionately known as Mr. B. I step outside with him to get a better understanding of this year’s show while student musicians practice their pieces in the band room behind us.

Mr. Michael Biasi has delivered an entertaining and poignant performance of their show “Together As One.” “I always like to try to keep my shows somewhat upbeat. I really hate morbid shows. I think that the role of marching band is to be entertaining and try to lift people’s spirits.”

The show begins with a dissonant sound in the piece titled “Orawa” (pronounced as Aurora), which begins with a seven-note melody that is played repeatedly throughout. This piece represents the discordance that Covid caused in everyone's lives. It eventually transitions into “Fix You” by Coldplay. This piece represents people working together to bring society back to a semblance of normalcy. This quickly transitions into “Imagine” written by John Lennon. “I thought ‘Imagine’ was a really good tune because if you listen to the lyrics, it’s funny that he wrote that back in the late 60’s/ early 70’s, yet it still has so much presence in today’s world.”

It’s clear that Mr. B is invested in this show in a special way. “And then you hear at the very end of the show one last big chorus of ‘Come Together.’ In the end, we’re hoping it’ll come across that we’re better, you know, together than we are as individuals.”

Together truly describes the marching band. If you see them in competition, be sure to give them a Hawk Yeah!