The Pride of Hillsborough Raider Marching Band concluded its 2024 season by winning the New Jersey Group 5 Open State Championship at South Brunswick High School with “The Piece That Makes The Difference.” Led by veteran band director Jules Haran and her dedicated staff, the band full of students aged 12-18 embarked on a journey of learning and growth. Starting with their band mini camp and band camp, two weeks of intensive rehearsals at Woodfern Elementary School, the band learned their show music, visuals, and drill. That journey ended with The Pride of Hillsborough Raider Marching Band clinching their third State Championship in just four years. 

Senior Drum Major Ellery Lambert-Smith and Junior Drum Majors Abigail VanLangen and Veer Parlikar, led the band to victories at Hanover Park High School, with the band placing first with a score of 80.70, South Brunswick High School, placing first with a score of 85.50, and at the New Jersey State Championship, placing first, with a score of 96.40. 

The theme for this year’s show was a departure from past years. The band donned a unique puzzle piece-themed uniform rather than their well-known Red and Black Uniform. “The idea of connecting colors to a person’s personality traits was inspired by the movie ‘Inside Out.’ When thinking about how we could represent that on the field, the option we thought could work was puzzle pieces, since puzzle pieces are usually different colors. Then, when we saw the puzzle piece with a quote on it, it all came together.” said Haran. 

When reflecting on the band’s season, Lambert-Smith said, “I am most proud of the band’s unwavering determination and drive to get better. Everyone persevered through two hot weeks of band camp to put on an amazing preview performance. Once school started, everyone remained flexible and open-minded as we cleaned the drill, refined music, and added visuals. And despite two competitive second place finishes in the weeks leading up to state championships, everyone gave it all they had until the very end, which culminated in a thrilling victory at states.” 

Parlikar also mentioned improvement as a key to the band’s success. “I am most proud of the growth that I have seen in not just the entire band but in every individual. I have seen our members grow and mature throughout the season, building the close-knit family that our band program is known for,” he said.

One factor that required adaptation was that the band’s median age being 14 years old. “We did not change anything about how we do things. We really couldn’t afford to. We couldn’t afford anything to slow us down.” said Haran. With the large number of younger members in the band, many of the veteran members stepped up and helped them, she said. 

Key features of the show were the standout soloists. Seniors Isabella Kearney on the Flute and Ellery Lambert-Smith on the French Horn, Junior Abigail Vanlangen on the Trombone, Sophomore Brianna Gibson on the Clarinet, and 8th Grader Eddie Valkova on the Alto Saxophone were the highlighted soloists. 

“One of my biggest takeaways from the band program was the life long friendships that I made and the memories that have happened,” said Gabriella Czechowicz, a senior set to graduate in June, along with 20 other members of the band.