Schools
Q & A with Roosevelt Band Director — Band Sweetheart Week Traditions
Director of Instrumental Music tells more about Sweet Week.
Wondering more about Wyandotte’s Band Sweetheart Week? Here’s our Wyandotte Patch Q&A with Roosevelt High School’s Mark A. D’Angelo, director of Instrumental Music.
Patch: What is Hush Day, for the spirit days, and what is Be Another Band Member?
D’Angelo: Students have fun on these days — on the Hush Days, boys and girls in the RHS Instrumental Music Department wear heart-shaped name tags all day. On Tuesday, girls try to refrain from talking to any boy member of the Bands or Orchestras that does not play the same instrument as them, or they forfeit their name tag to that person. On Wednesday, the boys wear the name tags. At the end of the day, all the name tags are turned in to the music director to earn credit for their instrumental section.
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On Be-Another-Band-Member Day, students get permission from a friend to dress like they do for this day.
Q: Why was the Band Sweetheart tradition started, and what does it mean to Roosevelt students now?
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A: I believe that Band Sweetheart was started to give special recognition to the hard working and dedicated members of the Wyandotte Marching Chiefs. I like to believe it was a way to build unity amongst the members of the band. I feel the same spirit of Band Sweetheart exists today. Student members of the Instrumental Music Department enjoy this week and like being recognized by their other teachers and Roosevelt High School peers.
Q: How many band students do you have who are participating in Band Sweetheart?
A: All of the Instrumental Music Students (250+); however, other students of RHS celebrate our tradition along with us by participating in the theme days.
Q: This sounds like an event that's unique to Roosevelt High School. Is it like homecoming for band students?
A: It is a homecoming for band! I think many of our traditions are unique to RHS; however, the idea of band sweetheart is a celebrated tradition across the country. (In most places they are crowned during the homecoming celebrations.)
