Blackstone-Millville Marching Band Finishes 2nd at Nationals with Unforgettable 2025 Season
Blackstone-Millville Marching Band’s Unforgettable 2025 Season: Small Town, Big Sound
The Blackstone-Millville Marching Band 2025 season came to an unforgettable close with a 2nd place finish at the USBands National Championships at MetLife Stadium, earning two prestigious Caption Awards for Best Music and Best Visual.
It was a season defined not only by competition success but by creativity, leadership, and community pride.
Small Town Post reached out to Music Director Todd Shafer, who shared the story behind this remarkable year — one fueled by originality, teamwork, and the unwavering support of a small town that shows up for its students.
A Story Set to “The Last Broadcast”
This year’s show, titled “The Last Broadcast,” imagined a 1920s world facing an impending meteor strike — a theme that took audiences on an emotional journey through panic, sadness, acceptance, and defiance.
“We wanted to describe the emotions involved — and the 1920s vibe gave it a unique twist,” said Shafer.
The music matched that bold vision. The band performed two original compositions by CJ Barrow and Shane Gwaltney, followed by “As the World Caves In” by Matt Maltese and “Dance Till the World Ends” by Britney Spears. The last two songs were chosen by visual staff member, Dylan Bukaweski, to help musically illustrate the emotions involved.
It was a creative leap — and the first time the Blackstone-Millville program had performed original music, something Shafer called “a rare thing for bands.” Most groups perform arrangements of existing songs, but this year’s show broke new ground and set BMR apart.
Hard Work, Heart, and Hunger to Improve
With 80 student performers, the 2025 season stood out for the band’s relentless drive. “After each competition, the staff would be surrounded by students asking what we thought of the performance, what needed to improve,” said Shafer. “It’s rare to have kids so invested in improving over a five-month season.”
This year also introduced a new leadership model — section leaders instead of a few overall captains — which Shafer credits for deepening collaboration and accountability. “They met an hour early before practices and talked with teammates after rehearsals. Their leadership made a difference.”
Among the year’s standouts were soloists Sofia Bouley (Clarinet), Isabella Smith (Clarinet), and Clover Maloney (Tenor Sax) — all earning praise from judges — and an exceptional percussion section that outperformed groups traditionally known as powerhouses.
The team also included two students who managed the moving meteor prop: Connor DiFabio and James Giampietro — helping bring the show’s story to life on the field.
A Season Powered by Community
Behind every great band is a great support system — and at BMR, that village runs deep.
Shafer reflected on how much the parents, alumni, and community members contribute to the program’s success.
“Our parents travel with us and are the loudest fans in the stadium,” he said. “Kids thrive off that, and it helps drive our performances.”
The community’s dedication was on full display earlier this season when the band needed a last-minute home show venue, and Shafer reached out for help. Within days, the community came together to make it happen — a story Small Town Post covered here.
“It takes a supportive community to have a successful band program,” Shafer said. “We’re a little district that tries to compete on a big stage.”
The Road to Nationals
The USBands National Championships at MetLife Stadium bring together top high school marching bands from across the country. Judged across multiple caption categories — including Music Proficiency, Music Ensemble, Visual, and Overall Effect — each score reflects technical precision and emotional impact.
The Blackstone-Millville Marching Band 2025 season ended with a 96.0 score, placing 2nd overall and capturing Best Music and Best Visual — an incredible achievement for a small-town program competing on one of the nation’s biggest stages.
An Open Invitation: How to Join the Band
Shafer hopes this success inspires new students to join.
“Being part of our marching program takes two things only: hard work and commitment,” he said. “We don’t expect students to join with a complete set of skills — that’s our job to teach. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Most students begin in middle school, showing interest and dedication before joining the high school program. Invitations and open enrollment for winds, percussion, and color guard typically start in late April or early May.
Parents and students are always welcome to reach out to Mr. Shafer, Mr. Marcotte, or Ms. Ryan to learn more about how to get involved.
Meet the 2025 Blackstone-Millville Marching Band
| Drum Major | Flutes | Clarinets | Alto Sax | Bass Clarinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clover Maloney Maddie Billings | Cassidy Sullivan Brianna Chalas Lilyana Pereira Peirce Frasca Macie Webber Raylen King Isabella Greene Abbygail Santos | Sofia Bouley Isabella Smith Mackenzie Ranucci Zachary Catalano Jocelyn Ryan Connor Stapleton Kylie DiFabio | Kavin Rodrick Madison Symonds Harrison Martin | Maggie Castonguay |
| Tenor Sax | Bari Sax | Mello | Trumpet | Trombone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosalee Briar Catherine Bouley | Jacob Peterson Dave Francis | Aaralyn Holmes Aryanna Dunscomb Josue Villas Nueuvas Zezinah Rodrigues | Seth Asante Benjamin Hebert Greyson Copeland Conor Evans William Hagan Kaleb Nieber Logan Surfus Lucas Vinacco Audrey Mahan Tyler Thibault Lillian Harrington Anthony Conklin | Daniel Zariczny Noah Catalano |
| Tuba | Battery | Pit | Guard | Meteor Prop Assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Scott Eve Wing Joshua Lohmann Cameron Ansell | Rowan Mahan Jackson Perron Jacob Stearns Aidan Gilmour Axl Gilmour Brandon Shippee Kaiden Mahan Bentley Morin Jayden Stearns | Andrew Zahner Caden Lockwood DonPaul Thekkan Lacey Bartlett Dustin Turner Ben Briar Evabelle Bandy Connor Steimel | Ivy Maloney Marya Grady-O’Neil Schelby Scoggins Cherylyn Hersey Calleigh Davis Brooke Ethier Hannah Lockwood Madison Bartlett Charlotte Castonguay Max St. Gelais Sarah Korencsik Maya Ridlon Macey Billings Olivia Foster Max Polumbo Ashley Shafer | Connor DiFabio James Giampietro |
Meet the Staff Behind the Blackstone-Millville Marching Band 2025 season
A season like this doesn’t happen without a skilled and dedicated staff working behind the scenes:
Director: Todd Shafer
Assistant Directors: Nick Marcotte, Jessica Ryan
Percussion Staff: Carly Konovalenko, Hunter Lockwood-Letourneau, Natalie Myers, Gracie Rayess
Visual Staff: Dylan Bukaweski, Jason Lopez, Danielle Catalano
Guard Staff: Samantha Hackenson, Jordan Kaiser, Emily Healy
Design Team: A collaborative effort between BMR staff and SyncedUp Designs, who created the musical arrangements as well as the props and flags that brought The Last Broadcast to life.
A Season to Remember
As the Blackstone-Millville Marching Band 2025 season comes to a close, the students, staff, and community can take immense pride in what they’ve built together. From an ambitious original score to a string of standout performances, the season showcased the kind of dedication and teamwork that makes the Chargers a lasting source of hometown pride.
Every note, every late-night rehearsal, and every march across the field came together in harmony — proof that at BMR, hard work and heart always take center stage. What began as a creative vision called “The Last Broadcast” evolved into something much more: a story of perseverance, leadership, and the unstoppable power of community.
Even though the final competition is over, the music — and the lessons behind it — will echo far beyond the field. The 2025 season will be remembered not just for trophies or scores, but for the friendships, memories, and pride it inspired across Blackstone and Millville.
Photos courtesy of Alyssa Mahan
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