by Amari B. Harrison
Directed by Mr. Joseph Oneschuk, the Wayland High School Band stood behind home plate at Fenway Park, 15 feet away from the Red Sox’ biggest stars. It was Sunday, April 6th, and the first game of a day-night doubleheader vs. the St. Louis Cardinals was about to start.
How did they get there? Oneschuk remembers receiving an unusual email last November. “I thought it was a scam, so I ignored it,” Oneschuk chuckled. “But they kept emailing and then called me.”
The Red Sox organization had noticed some of the band’s high-profile performances, such as its METCO celebrations at the State House, Hibernian Hall, and the Copley Plaza Hotel. They researched the band’s impressive collaborations with famous artists, such as percussionist Scott Crago from the Eagles, and internationally renowned Afro-Cuban pianist Zahili Gonzalez Zamora from Berklee College of Music. And they wanted the WHS Band to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Fenway!
“There were hoops to jump through,” Joe explained. “Forms, vetting, pictures, recordings, and lots of fine tuning. We prepared by playing on the WHS fields in all types of weather conditions. I pumped crowd noise into our football stadium to simulate what 33,000 people would sound like. We practiced with a reverb effect on our mics to account for the echo in a large stadium. Our most meaningful preparation was having U.S. Naval Commander Paul Rufo speak with us about what our national anthem means to him. His stories were transformational for us, both as musicians and citizens.”
All that work helped the band navigate some pregame obstacles. They had traveled into Boston on four buses the day before, as the game was originally scheduled for Saturday. They waited for hours in the Fenway green room and field crew trenches until the game was officially rained out and rescheduled. Because of Oneschuk’s careful planning, however, everyone was ready to do it all again on Sunday. “Our students were focused, respectful, and flexible. They were true professionals,” Oneschuk reflected.
In front of their largest audience to date—all of Red Sox Nation—the band delivered a beautiful performance of our national anthem with poise and precision. “It was really special!” gushed Jillian Kohl, whose son Ori played snare drum. Oneschuk knows he helped provide a lifetime experience for his students and their families. “None of us will ever forget this.” To make a great day even better, the Red Sox won the game 5-4.
