A wicker hat, a Pride of Portola jacket and two gloves. That’s all that drum major and senior Noah Paniagua needs in order to conduct, lead and direct over 100 students in the Portola High Marching Band. Whether it be at sporting events or a pep rally, Paniagua is the one member of the Portola High Marching Band not facing the stands during performances. Instead, he is attentively keeping time and allowing the team’s creative vision to come alive.
“We’ve been drawing a lot of parallels to the quarterback of the football team,” instrumental music teacher Kyle Traska said. “He’s the person that speaks for the band –– he’s the hub between the students and director. He’s also the voice of the students. When we huddle it up and set our goals for the day, he’s the one that’s talking when we wrap up our rehearsal.”
As the student conductor, Paniagua serves the unique role of bridging the gap between the instrumental music teachers and performers.
“My job consists of trying to form unity within the section leaders and have that unity go through the section leaders and to the whole band,” Paniagua said. “I do that while also communicating with the directors what their plan –– their vision is for the band and communicating that to the rest of the band members.”
Beyond uniting the marching band’s leadership, Paniagua has been an active member of the performing arts community on campus for three years.
“He’s done a great job of putting himself at the same level with the staff and the directors,” Traska said. “He’s done a great job of showing respect while asking for what he needs, advocating for himself in a helpful and respectful manner. As a learner, he’s done a great job of digging into the history of the craft of the marching arts and digging further into leadership, attending camps, sharing his passion with other leaders and then bringing that knowledge to the rest of the team here at Portola.”
With the Homecoming game and pep rally finished, Paniagua will continue to hone the group’s craft in between their appearances at future games and events. In addition to ensuring great shows and performances, Paniagua said he wishes that everyone can bond and have fun as a family.
![Instrumental teacher Desmond Stevens conducts the symphonic orchestra. Developing a strong community of musicians is crucial as concerts require strong teamwork skills from all performers. “I think that [symphonic band] is a lot more supportive than other bands I’ve been in where they critique you if you mess up,” freshman Saurin Mody said.](https://portolapilot.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC07180.edited-2-475x317.png)
