The West Milford Highlander Marching Band has wrapped up a historic season defined by regional, state, and national dom-inance—and plenty of trophies. Competing in USBands with its impressive program “High Voltage,” the ensemble secured the pres-tigious USBands Group IV Open National Champ-ionship, solidifying its status as a force in high school music programs.
In addition to the national title—earned with a staggering score of 96.25 and captions for Best Overall Effect and Best Percussion—the Highlanders also cap-tured the 2025 USBands New Jersey State Champ-ionship. These accolades highlight the importance of music education, which fosters discipline, commun-ity, and a pursuit of excellence that extends far beyond the rehearsal room.
Band director Matthew Gramata, recently honored in Yamaha’s “2026 40 Under 40: Celebrating Excellence in Music Education,” guided the students through this standout year. His leader-ship, supported by all of our district’s dedicated music educators, drives a program that empowers students to reach their full potential through their passion for playing.
The program has stand-out members with individual talents as well. Seven students were selected for the 2026 New Jersey Music Educators Associat-ion All-State Bands after intense auditions. Represent-ing our district in the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are Joe Ansioso (clarinet), Johnson Limos (trumpet), Stephen Della-gicoma (baritone saxo-phone), Shayla McPhee (horn), Colin Quirk (horn), Noelle Treloar (horn), and Jake Janis (percussion). Dellagicoma, McPhee, and Janis earned first-chair honors, the
state’s most elite distinction. These students joined the best musicians from across New Jersey for an intensive weekend of high-level performance under world-class directors.
At the North Jersey School Music Association Region Concert Band Festival on March 17, the Symphonic Band earned a silver rating, while the Wind Ensemble took home gold and the Outstanding Percussion Section Award. Freshman Elizabeth Kinney
earned an Outstanding Musicianship Award for her piano performance.
Other season highlights included an early December
performance with the Rutgers Symphonic Winds at the Nicholas Music Center and an April 26 appearance at the State Gala at William Paterson University, where the Wind Ensemble took first place among all Region I ensembles.
The District Arts Festival, held annually at the
high school, remains a cherished event in our community. This showcase is especially important for welcoming younger band and choral
students into the building, allowing them the chance to
to play and sing alongside their mentors and role models, and offering them a chance to see the family that they will soon join.
Beyond local comp-etition, the band and choir traveled to Disney World this year. The marching band performed in a parade on Main Street, U.S.A., while the choir recorded tracks for a future Disney film, proving that Disney really is the place where dreams come true.
The year concluded with the annual Spring Concert, which will be followed by a brief, well-deserved break before band camp kicks off again this summer. With such an amazing year now over, the community is eager to see what our directors have in store to top the monumental achievements of this past year.