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2024 SESSION

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24105163D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 295 Offered March 4, 2024 Commending the Oakton High School marching band. ----------
Patrons-- Seibold, Anthony, Askew, Bulova, Clark, Cohen, Delaney, Gardner, Green, Helmer, Henson, Herring, Hope, Keys-Gamarra, Krizek, Lopez, Martinez, Sickles, Simon, Sullivan, Thomas, Tran and Watts
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WHEREAS, in 2024, the Oakton High School marching band won a grand prize in a marching band competition, For Whom the Band Tolls!, established by heavy metal legends Metallica; and

WHEREAS, For Whom the Band Tolls! was created to inspire young people like the members of the Oakton High School Marching Cougars to develop exciting, unique, and impressive performances using Metallica’s vast library of hit songs that stretches back more than 40 years; and

WHEREAS, the Oakton Marching Cougars were one of 450 bands around the country that entered the competition; the band began to formulate the show at its summer camp a few weeks before the start of the 2023–2024 academic year; and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of band director Jamie VanValkenburg, who is a longtime Metallica fan, the Oakton Marching Cougars developed a five-song performance called Parade to Black that featured “The Unforgiven,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Turn the Page,” “The Memory Remains,” and “Enter Sandman”; and

WHEREAS, the Oakton Marching Cougars were supported by parents, friends, and volunteers, many of whom are also Metallica fans, who designed and built props and costumes for use during the performance and assisted with sound and video editing; and

WHEREAS, the Oakton Marching Cougars performed Parade to Black nine times in front of live audiences at football games and other band competitions; the band also recorded two performances with parents and friends serving as an audience to maintain an authentic stadium atmosphere but ensure a high degree of creative excellence; and

WHEREAS, the Oakton Marching Cougars won in the small high school category and were one of only six high school and college bands in the nation selected as grand prize winners; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Oakton High School marching band hereby be commended on winning a grand prize in For Whom the Band Tolls!; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Jamie VanValkenburg, band director of Oakton High School, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for the Oakton High School marching band’s outstanding achievement.