BVA, Laurel Highlands bands unite for Disney parade

Belle Vernon Area’s contingent volunteered to help when LH was short on band members.

The Belle Vernon Area and Laurel Highlands school districts came together this week to perform at Walt Disney World, after BVA students decided to lend a helping hand to their neighbors.

Laurel Highlands Band Director Mark Santore said due to the cost of the trip, many families in the band decided not to participate, which would have left them with insufficient members to qualify for the Magic Kingdom parade. Santore reached out to BVA Band Director Mark Surovchak, and the plan came together for the two bands to combine.

“We are incredibly grateful to the BVA band for graciously allowing us to march alongside them in the parade at the Magic Kingdom,” Santore said. “Laurel Highlands and BVA have collaborated on combined performances during the football season numerous times, and since we were both scheduled to be there at the same time, it was an obvious choice.

“Mr. Surovchak and the BVA Band and their band parents have been incredibly kind and supportive throughout this entire endeavor. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform with our good friends at BVA for the thousands of spectators at Disney World.”

Surovchak told the Mon Valley Independent that the two bands rehearsed together before their trip to Disney. He added that BVA and Laurel Highlands have always tried to work together for certain performances.

“We gave the students opportunities to spend time with the students from Laurel Highlands,” Surovchak said. “Over the last several years, (Santore) and I have tried to find ways to have our students combined for halftime performance in some way, and even if that means playing a stand tune on the field as a combined band.

“It’s about creating a community amongst all of our students. And that’s what music is, a giant community.”

The combined bands performed at Disney on Wednesday, carrying a banner showing off both their school names. Surovchak said this isn’t BVA’s or Laurel Highlands’ first time marching at Disney.

The Laurel Highlands marching band was made up of around 38 students and BVA has more than 90, making their combined marching band over 100 students.

Surovchak emphasized that the BVA students were just as excited about bringing on the band students from Laurel Highlands.

“We have to flip the script sometimes and put ourselves in the perspective of, ‘what if this was us?’ and would we hope that another group would do the same thing for us?” he said. “They understand just how important this is for the Laurel Highlands students to combine, but also how special this can be for all of us together.”