Dave Ryan
Submitted to Dorchester Banner
Members of the Maple Elementary School Marching Lions Band attended a year-end banquet on Friday. Held at the Dorchester Arts Center, the event attracted a full house of musicians, parents, teachers and fans of the program.
CAMBRIDGE – Let’s call it the Marching Tigers’ 2017-18 Tour. The members of Maple Elementary School’s band celebrated the end of the school year – and their tour – with a banquet Friday at the Dorchester Arts Center. The children brought their parents and fans to celebrate with their teachers and especially Band Director Ray Washington. “It was an awesome evening – awards, food, dance and fun,” band mom Tina Weber wrote on social media. “These kids did a lot of big stuff in 2017-18.” Indeed they did. It got off to a big start at the beginning of the school year, when the young musicians, looking sharp in their new, green uniforms, performed live on television for “Good Morning America.” Kind of makes you wonder what they could do for an encore, doesn’t it? Well, how about marching at Morgan State University’s Homecoming Game? Or maybe playing – and again being featured on television – live at a Ravens’ NFL game? Yeah, that should do it. But there was more, plenty more. The band or its drum line appeared at many local events, always impressing folks not only with their skills, but also with their maturity and good behavior. Band members were Malayah Griffin, Kassidy Williams, Amiya Batson, Micayla Cristia, Azera Stanley, Jazlyn Washington, Mar’Kyah Cooper, Namari Molock, Janiya Stanley, Nazeera Jones, E’Jayden Manokey, Cheyenne Jackson, R’Miya Rosado, Josiah Harris, Char’Nay Stubbs, Anna Jones, Grant Searcey, Brianna Montgomery, TeJanae Ballin, Monique Grizzelle, Jahid Tilghman, Hallmark Pinanzu, Ay’Rhiana Harris, Zaleek Bryant, Rodney Harris, Marqee Mack-Jones, Gage Gore, Tay’Brion Wongus, Elijah Santana-Johnson, Kayden Pilger, Isiah Peyton, RaJave’ Lee, J. Hernandez, Nicholas Cristia, Marcus San Juan, Christian Thomas-McNamara, Alex Redmond, Gabriella Blake, Madison Brown, Savannah Weber, Aniya Thompson, Noah Marshall, Derek Anderson, Collin Bair, Alexander Boda, Mackenzee Burton, Ra’Quan Cornish, Tre’Auna Cornish, Patrick Jones, Justin Marshall, Ryan Beans, Pratham Oza, Kob’e Rochester, Kambren Wongus, Akazhae’ Hammond, Ozvaldo Hernandez, Jose Lopez. “I can’t wait to see what bigger things Maple Band will do in the 2018-2019 year, Ms. Weber said. “They are just getting started.”