MBHS band prepares for Pearl Harbor anniversary

The trip of a lifetime starts Dec. 4 at 1:30 a.m. for Mountain Brook High School band members.

That is when 92 students, staff, chaperones and parents leave for Hawaii and the Pearl Harbor 75th Commemoration.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you think about anniversaries such as this, the 75th is huge, but then you also take into account this is nearing the end of a lot of these veterans’ time and their ability to travel,” said MBHS band director Jason Smith.

Students and faculty are preparing for a trip that is cultural, educational and musical, Smith said, with all of those aspects being equally important to the trip. They will get to see landmarks such as Diamond Head and visit the Dole plantation to learn about the industrialization of Hawaiian culture, but the trip also has inspired students to learn more about Pearl Harbor.

“We’ve also found through all of this the educational value,” Smith said. “The kids have less of a connection with things that are related to Pearl Harbor or World War II because of the War on Terror and their direct interaction with those types of events. The kids are excited. They’re wanting this information. They want to learn about the events leading up to this and the causes.”

The fact that MBHS will be able to perform at such a monumental event is the result of the “right place, right time, right community, right trip, right kids — you name it,” Smith said. He came to the school two years ago hoping to bring positive attention to the band, and this is the exact way to do it.

The performance will be similar to a giant USO show, Smith said, including a group of 2,000 performers from the U.S. and Japan. In addition to the “mass band” MBHS will be a part of, there will be other performers with flags and other additions to the show. Since receiving the news they would be a part of the performance, Smith said their main focus has been preparations.

Gathering instrument dimensions to prepare for shipping those items and fundraising to offset the overall cost of $250,000 has held excitement at bay, Smith said, but as it grows closer the anticipation grows as well.

“We haven’t really had a chance to embrace it to its fullest,” Smith said. “I think as we get closer, the excitement begins to build.”

He said the Mountain Brook community has been supportive of the trip and helped assist in fundraising over the last several months.

“Everybody has embraced us and celebrated and asked how they could help,” Smith said. “We’ve had lots of donations and support.”

MBHS will perform Dec. 7, and the event will be streamed live online. Check villagelivingonline.com for the link.