Outlasting sweltering August and shivering November practices require an even more relaxing break. Marching Virignians spend their time working hard during the first semester of every school year, so when winter break rolls around, we travel to some pretty neat places!
Chloe and her family in front of a Hard Rock Cafe prop; Source: Chloe Tenembaum
At the start of break, one guard member, Chloe Tenembaum, traveled down to Florida for some pre Belk Bowl festivities with her grandmother and father. They visited the Hard Rock Cafe where they were amazed at the fancy modern decor, including the indoor ceiling fountain. Although they didn’t stay there, it was equivalent to an experience at an art museum.
They also traveled to Las Olas, a chic city filled with trendy stores and a riverside water taxi. Chloe road in a neon yellow boat and were provided a tour of the yachts and beachside houses by the generous people that presided there.
Alyssa, Sara, and Harveen (left to right) in the reflection of an ornament of the twenty-foot Christmas Tree; Source: Sara Elwood
Next comes the Belk Bowl, which as many of us know was in Charlotte, North Carolina. Between rehearsals and extra pep performances, many of the MV’s wandered around Charlotte in groups.
For example, trumpets Sara Elwood, Alyssa Hyduke, and Harveen Pantleay visited Amélie’s French Bakery sampling ten different kinds of french goodies. They discovered a local hotel decorated with model trains and twinkling lights for its patrons. Eventually, they came across a twenty foot tall Christmas tree and decided there would be no better time for a picture! To end their evening, they dined at Vapiano’s, a pasta bar where the chefs create the pasta from behind the counter for your meal.
Three days after the Belk Bowl, I went on my own adventure with my best friend, Daniel Aguiar, from a different college band to New York City. We traveled by bus, arriving in Manhattan at 5:30 a.m. to take the subway to downtown Brooklyn. We started the day at Cocoa Grinder, made our way through Prospect Park and their Botanical Gardens, and trekked to Chinatown for authentic rice noodles.
Callie of her and Daniel (left to right) on their Brooklyn Bridge walk; Source: Callie Ayala
On our passages through the subways, the culture of music never left us. From Michael Jackson impersonators to jazz ensembles to the erhu, we were always met with different musical talents. Each impression bigger than the last, I always wondered what we would experience next.
On the second day, we ate at Bagel Story where we saw a share a coke with VT bottle. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, strolled through Chinatown once more and then down 5th Avenue followed by a quick trip to Koreatown for their H-mart and ended with hustling through Times Square as all tourists do. But the best part of the trip wason the third day where we visited the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog.
Camy star struck on the “Rocky Steps”; Source: Camy Colón
Just a few days ago, another one of the MV trumpets, Camy Colón, was in Philadelphia on a day trip. She started with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, saw the Liberty Bell, toured Independence Hall, and even walked by the outer walls of the haunting Eastern State Penitentiary. But the best part of her journey was its beginning for she got to stand on the “Rocky Steps”, the seventy-two step climb to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Currently, two of our MV’s are on separate trips to India. Harisson Jaehn, an MV Manager, is on a service assessment trip for the Service Without Borders organization. The team is developing a project to work with the community of indigenous people of Odisha. The heat is quite different from the Blacksburg summers we’re used to.
Natasha Chauhan, an MV baritone player, visited the historical towns of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri which are both moghul towns filled with elegant architecture. More specifically, Agra houses which hold one of the seven modern wonders of the world: The Taj Mahal.
Natasha in front of the Taj Mahal; Source: Natasha Chauhan
Lelan spending some quality time with his second nephew; Source: Lelan Yung
One MV Clarinet, Lelan Yung, is in Hong Kong for a bit visiting friends and family.
Blacksburg is always in our hearts however, the music rattling our bones and rhythm in our hearts to stay. For four Virginia Tech students, three of which are MVs, this remains indefinitely true in their bond with their own band, Umbrella Man.
At the start of the 2018 Fall Semester, one future MV Manager, Garrett Walsh and one current MV Tuba, RKO, had aspirations to begin their own band. Once they became good friends with Toto, another MV Tuba, they recruited their final member, Evan Jones, one of Toto’s high school friends. The pieces soon came together with Garrett on lead guitar and vocals, RKO on bass and vocals, Toto on drums and vocals, and Evan on rhythm guitar and drums.
Together, RKO and Toto were inspired to name themselves after a documentary they had seen about the JFK assassination. The Umbrella Man documentary by Errol Morris, discusses the controversial appearance of Louie Steven Witt (the “umbrella man”) in his crucial role of JFK’s assassination or as a simple heckler to JFK’s political party. The mystery behind such theories has remained unsolved, thus the meaning behind the band’s name.
Recently, the band played together at the Milk Parlor, a local Blacksburg restaurant on 211 Draper Road well known for hosting talented musicians and for their open mic nights.
The Umbrella Man performing live at The Milk Parlor; Source: Instagram (You can follow Umbrella Man’s performances by following their instagram @umbrellafellas)