Farmingdale HS Band Bus Crashes

[MikeD]

Awful news about a band bus crashing in NY State.

Band Bus Crash

[KenDrum]

The band director who was killed Gina Pellettiere  was a  soprano player in the 1998 Crossmen horn line, a superb educator and a good friend.

Edited September 22, 2023 by KenDrum

[Jeff Ream]

So sad

[TheOneWhoKnows]

Too much loss for our community today. 
 

I’ve been reading condolences posts for Gina on Facebook. While every loss of life is hard, losing a band director has ripple effects that most people don’t think of. Band directors are so much more than teachers and I can’t imagine what current and former students are feeling right now. Let alone the potential future students this wonderful soul would have touched. 

[keystone3ply]

One of my greatest fears as a band director.  Spent many hours on a motor coach or cheese wagon in HS, college, directing, & drum corps.  Praying for all of the students, family members, & faculty. 

https://www.the-sun.com/news/9150945/gina-pellettiere-beatrice-ferarri-farmingdale-bus-crash-victims/

Edited September 22, 2023 by keystone3ply
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[IllianaLancerContra]

8 hours ago, KenDrum said:

The band director who was killed Gina Pellettiere  was a  soprano player in the 1998 Crossmen horn line, a superb educator and a good friend.

.

[waliman4444]

So sad to wake and read about this horrible tragedy..To the families of Ms. Pellettiere and Ms. Ferarri , may God bless as they rest in peace.

[Mad Mello]

Such sad news. Condolences to all.

[Tim K]

14 hours ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

Too much loss for our community today. 
 

I’ve been reading condolences posts for Gina on Facebook. While every loss of life is hard, losing a band director has ripple effects that most people don’t think of. Band directors are so much more than teachers and I can’t imagine what current and former students are feeling right now. Let alone the potential future students this wonderful soul would have touched. 

Your words are so true about band directors, or at least the ones I know.

Yesterday I was at “The Big E” which is New England’s largest fair. There is a Mardi Gras style parade and yesterday’s featured the Budweiser Clydesdales and a local hitch the Hallamore Clydesdales and four high school bands. One band is a local champion, one a rising group from an urban school with little support from the school district, and two smaller groups that had heart even though they were not the size of the other two. I know one director (so do some of you who follow DCP, I know of another. Two I do not know. In each group you could see the leaders, some trying their best, and all sorts in between. Because it was not a competition, you just enjoyed the groups that helped make up the atmosphere and I was reminded of my younger self and how in so many schools the band is the catch all group. The band director in many schools has to bring together a group that includes the best snd brightest, someone looking for a place to belong, and everyone else in the high school pecking order. Band directors often play a critical role and as we know, can be the first eliminated when the budget needs to be cut.

I probably would not have given all this much thought but shortly after the parade finished, I received a news alert on my phone which told of the accident.  

[musicteacher]

Beautifully stated. Many of us have been there.