Photo by Diane O'Connor

Band, Bruinettes Perform at Saints Game

The Catholic High School Band and CHS Bruinettes performed at halftime of the December 4 New Orleans Saints game in Tiger Stadium. The Saints played host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Dancing in Tiger Stadium is something I will always remember.” Paige Honoré '06

“It was a great opportunity for the group,” said CHS Band Director Duane LeBlanc. “Many of the nation’s top performance events, such as the Rose Bowl parade, presidential inaugurations and the Macy’s parade, invite bands based upon a band resume. The resume would include performing at major events. This is an event that our band can include on our resume, along with last year’s trip to Disney. The kids loved it. Many have asked if we could do it again next year.”

Band member Caroline Wolf, a junior, said performing at halftime was a wonderful experience. “I never thought I would get the opportunity to march in Tiger Stadium because I don’t plan on being in band during college,” she said. “The shock we experienced after Mr. LeBlanc told us the news never really sank in for me. It just seems like these opportunities and experiences don’t happen to very many people very often. I really have no idea how the performance looked, but as we ran off the field after being overrun by football players, I saw Mr. LeBlanc laughing.”

Bruinettes co-captain Paige Honoré, a senior, said it was an honor to be asked to perform. “I was not that nervous because we have performed this many times, but the experience was unforgettable,” she said. “Dancing in Tiger Stadium is something I will always remember. I enjoyed looking up at the crowd while I was dancing. There were so many people, you couldn’t help but smile.”

Band member Amanda Bergeron, a sophomore, said her first time in Tiger Stadium was a moving experience. “I’ll never forget it,” she said. “We marched in early, before anyone was even in the stadium yet, and I remember walking onto the field, looking up and just being like, ‘Wow.’ I intend to go to LSU and march in the band, so being able to have this experience before going to college was amazing.”

Bruinettes captain Paige Pedersen was equally enthusiastic. “Performing at the Saints game was awesome,” she said. “We got to practice before the game, and all the Saints players were on the field, practicing. This was our last time to perform as a team for a football game, and it’s something that I will never forget. We have the best group of girls, and our band deserved this honor.”

Junior Anne LeBlanc, a member of the CHS band, said the opportunity to perform before a large crowd was a fitting reward for the band’s hard work this year. “It was a really great opportunity,” she said. “To have a ‘famous’ organization recognize us was exciting. All the cheering fans were very encouraging to our performance. Looking up while playing and seeing tons of seats was really neat.”

In addition to Honoré and Pedersen, the Bruinettes include captain Kellie Geoffroy and group members Alex Ambeau, Emily Bach, Winifred Blewster, Kayla Bonvillain, Katherine Clements, Emily D’Aquin, Gracie Dumestre, Kathryn Elliott, Monika Guiberteau, Jaime Guillaume, Lauren Harpole, Kirstyn Jones, Sarah Lahr, Kayla Langlois, Ellen Loe, Lauren Mix, Erin O’Connor, Ashton Piland, Jennifer Prendergast, Morgan Soike, Allison Soileau, Allison Spedale, Alexandra St. Amant, Lexi Stephens, Christina Valluzzo, Rachel Vierck and Elisabeth Whitehead.

Wolf and LeBlanc are joined on the CHS band by SJA students Amy Andrews, Meagan Bahlinger, Taylor Barbay, Avery Barrilleaux, Erin Barrilleaux, Amanda Bergeron, Katherine Blackburn, Emily Caillet, Emily Carroll, Molly Carroll, Caroline Cary, Rebecca Cary, Kristen DeSoto, Jasmine Glasper, Kimberly Palmer, Laura Parsons and Katie Young.

LeBlanc invites SJA students to become members of the CHS band for the 2006-07 school year. “They may come to see me for audition music before the holidays,” he said. “Auditions for next year’s band will happen between January 10 and 20. There is room for most everyone interested.”