About The Newark High School
Yellow Jacket Marching Band
Wind Ensemble - Color Guard - Percussion Ensemble
The Band Today
The Sound of The Swarm - The Pride of The Hive
Your Newark High School Yellow Jacket Marching Band In the Newark Band, we build strong kids and strong communities through the teaching of our core values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Student character development focus describes how we operate; as a band, we don’t just teach show to play music, we teach values through our programs. Through these values, we can achieve dedicated teams, leaders, and members. These are the values our students live by in the Yellow Jacket Marching Band. Band is fun...Band is family. We believe that one of the best feelings to experience is that moment of euphoric achievement at the end of a great performance. The type of feeling that can only be ascertained through working towards a common goal and each member striving for his or her own personal growth. This is an experience that can only be earned, a feeling that one needs to work to acquired, and one not easily forgotten with time. Seeking out this feeling of triumph is one element that defines the pride of the Newark High School Yellow Jacket Marching Band. The other is friendship and camaraderie grown during the band's time together. The band is always changing, and we hope that you feel you are a part of the legacy as soon as you become a member of the “Band Family.” The Newark High School Yellow Jacket Marching Band is a curricular ensemble that meets daily in two courses: Winds and Percussion. Combined rehearsals, adding in the Colorguard, are Tuesday and Thursday evenings after athletic activities. Students engaging students is key. This program is a very student-driven organization, lead by a hierarchy of Drum Majors and Student Leaders that work to motivate, inspire, and include all members. Our philosophy is that Student Leaders are the key to a succesful season and a successful program. The Newark Band is performance driven! They travel to all football games to support athletics while also embarking on their own performative journeys in national competitions and festivals, as well as Newark-specific parades. Shows and Achievements2023 - Ablaze
2019 - Uprising 2018 - The Colors of Jazz 2017 - Heroes Among Us 2016 - Beatlemania |
History of the Band
Previous Band Directors
Jonathan Wittman
Mr. Wittman is currently leading the First State Symphonic Band. He's served as Musical Director since 1999. He is a native of Delaware and received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music and Trumpet Performance degrees at the University of Delaware. He taught at several schools in New Castle County and became Director of Bands at Newark High School in 2005. Mr. Wittman was Principal Trumpet of the First State Symphonic Band for 20 years before assuming the post of Musical Director.
Lloyd H. Ross
Lloyd H. Ross graduated from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and completed his Master of Music Education degree at West Chester University. Mr. Ross has worked at Newark High School for more than 30 years, directing the marching band, concert bands, jazz ensemble and other music ensembles. Over the past three decades Mr. Ross and the NHS bands have performed in approximately 105 field show festivals, 107 parades, 385 football games, 148 concerts, 193 jazz festivals, 158 pep assemblies, 144 special performances and 34 graduations. He has taught almost 6,000 students.
Mr. Ross has taken the NHS bands to competitions across the county. Under his direction, the Jazz Ensemble has competed at the Mobile Jazz Festival in Alabama, the Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston and the All-American Jazz Festival in Orlando. The marching band has performed in the Miss America Pageant parade in Atlantic City, N.J., the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The entire music program has participated in national festivals since 1978.
Mr. Ross has served as the advertising editor of Delaware Music Educators Association’s online newsletter, Notes, and has been a member of the National Association for Music Education, the National Band Association and the International Association for Jazz Educators. Many of Mr. Ross’s former students have found success in music or music-education careers. Since 2005, Mr. Ross has worked with more than 45 student teachers from the Department of Music, sharing his experience and helping to create a new generation of music educators.
Read Mr. Ross' Retirement Congressional Record
Mr. Wittman is currently leading the First State Symphonic Band. He's served as Musical Director since 1999. He is a native of Delaware and received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music and Trumpet Performance degrees at the University of Delaware. He taught at several schools in New Castle County and became Director of Bands at Newark High School in 2005. Mr. Wittman was Principal Trumpet of the First State Symphonic Band for 20 years before assuming the post of Musical Director.
Lloyd H. Ross
Lloyd H. Ross graduated from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and completed his Master of Music Education degree at West Chester University. Mr. Ross has worked at Newark High School for more than 30 years, directing the marching band, concert bands, jazz ensemble and other music ensembles. Over the past three decades Mr. Ross and the NHS bands have performed in approximately 105 field show festivals, 107 parades, 385 football games, 148 concerts, 193 jazz festivals, 158 pep assemblies, 144 special performances and 34 graduations. He has taught almost 6,000 students.
Mr. Ross has taken the NHS bands to competitions across the county. Under his direction, the Jazz Ensemble has competed at the Mobile Jazz Festival in Alabama, the Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston and the All-American Jazz Festival in Orlando. The marching band has performed in the Miss America Pageant parade in Atlantic City, N.J., the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The entire music program has participated in national festivals since 1978.
Mr. Ross has served as the advertising editor of Delaware Music Educators Association’s online newsletter, Notes, and has been a member of the National Association for Music Education, the National Band Association and the International Association for Jazz Educators. Many of Mr. Ross’s former students have found success in music or music-education careers. Since 2005, Mr. Ross has worked with more than 45 student teachers from the Department of Music, sharing his experience and helping to create a new generation of music educators.
Read Mr. Ross' Retirement Congressional Record
Marching Yellow Jackets in the Press!
02/12/2018 - Bob Kelly Small Town Take Over @ Grain on Main
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