October 2022: The Hammontonian | Page 20

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P . 20 | OCTOBER 2022 | THE HAMMONTONIAN

HHS Marching Unit won many band competitions

GUERERE , from P . 19 equals 10 ticks . A guy came on the mic and said ‘ Hammonton High School has won all of the awards .’ A guy from the Newark Star Ledger asked me ‘ Why haven ’ t we seen your band before ?’ I asked why they didn ’ t announce the score . He told me it was because we won the sow by 27 points . It was our first competition . I remember the police met us on Route 206 and escorted the band through town ,” Guerere said .
In 1973 , the band came in second at the Atlantic Coast Championships , then came in first in Group IV in 1974 , 1975 , 1976 , 1977 , 1978 and 1979 . They came in second in 1980 and took first place in Group III in 1983 .
Guerere credit the students and staff with the success of the band .
“ I would like to think that it was because we had an excellent staff who taught them the right things and they were kids who came from families who taught them how to do the right things . I like to think we had the most talented kids and the best shows . Back then the most academically talented kids were also in the marching band ,” Guerere said .
During the years Guerere was involved with teaching music at HHS , the numbers grew tremendously . When he returned from his service in the Army in 1961 , there were only 16 students in the noncompetition band , he said . By 1974 , the marching unit had grown to 36 poms , 24 flags , 12 rifles and 80 students in the band . By the late 1970s , the bands numbers swelled to between 150 and 200 , with 120 students in the playing band .
JEAN SANTORA ( 1972-73 AND 1973-74 ), ALVIN TUCKER ( 1981-82 ) AND ROBERT BUMBERA ( 1982-83 ).
At the time , the total HHS student population was still well under 1000 students .
Guerere said he was able to draw the students to the
We applied that to everything we did . The music , the marching . Everything was done that way until they did it well . The guys who are the
bands that went to the Orange Bowl in Miami , Fla . in 1981 . At the Orange Bowl , the HHS Marching Unit won first place for best band front
marching
unit
through
best in the business show
and second place for best
music .
you what you need to do . As
playing band .
“ I ’ ve always believed that if you were going to take band , in the fall you were doing marching band . At Christmas we did Christmas shows . In
he [ Pinitz ] said , ‘ there ’ s no point in going forward if you can ’ t do this correctly .’,” he recalled .
He recalled how the band
Guerere still maintains ties with his former students — and recalled all the support the Band Boosters — and especially his family — gave him
the winter , we did a Pops Concert
resurgence
mirrored
the
during the time he was the
.
He said learning through
resurgence of the Hammonton High School football team
band director at Hammonton High School .
the experience of teaching
under the late Head Coach Joe
“ My
wife ,
Rose
Rita
students was an education for him as well as them .
“ You learn a lot when you ’ re in college . You think
Cacia in the late 1960s and early 1970s . Cacia was recently honored with a monument at Robert Capoferri
Guerere , made the flags . She helped me all along the way , rode on the buses with us . My son Anthony was drum major
you know a lot , but you don ’ t .
Field .
[ in
1978-1979 ],”
Guerere
I was one of those guys who knew right away I didn ’ t know it all ,” Guerere said .
He would seek experts who lived in southern New Jersey — like Philadelphia Orchestra First Flautist Murray Panitz — and would bring students like Diane Press , who later attended Ithaca College in New York to them to learn . At the same time , he learned musical methods , like learning for four measures , then eight measures , and how Pinitz felt the notes needed to
“ We always got along very well — he appreciated what I did and I appreciated what he did . He insisted on excellence . He would not tolerate mediocrity ,” Guerere said .
By the late 1970s and early 1980s , the Hammonton High School “ Blue Devil ” Marching Unit was dominating . In 1980 , Beatrice Foods sponsored a national contest — all the best bands could compete in six separate regions . A competition was held for the Northeast region at the University
said . A program book from an
be ‘ phrased .’
of
Massachusetts ,
“ The entire lesson was
with 48 bands from the east
eight measures . I started to
participating .
Hammonton
do that with the band . They had to do things very well .
won the competition . As a result , they were one of six
event than honored the Hammonton High School Marching Unit and its director , Anthony Guerere . The back of the program featured a photo featuring Guerere ’ s children Anthony Guerere ( in drum major uniform ), Lynne ( Guerere ) Lucca and Joanne ( Guerere ) Pullia from the late 1970s and the following quote :
“ You taught us to build success through dedication and perseverance . Your love of music was always contagious and you passed it on to so many others . Our years with the Hammonton Band were some of our best and we were luck to be able to share it together . Thanks for the memories … “

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