North Allegheny Tiger Marching Band invites community to free preview show Aug. 15

To celebrate completing two weeks of band camp, the North Allegheny Tiger Marching Band plans to share the fruits of its labor during a free community preview show at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 at Newman Stadium off Perry Highway in McCandless.

The Tiger Marching Band is one of the largest student organizations at North Allegheny Senior High School, representing students in grades nine through 12.

The well-known staple features a wide range of student performers, including instrumentalists, majorettes, the dance team and color guard, according to Emily Rickard, North Allegheny’s band director.

Band camp is held every summer, usually at the beginning of August, with a preview show falling on the last day of the camp.

This year, the Tiger Marching Band will perform its 2025 field show, “Anthems on Parade,” featuring the music of My Chemical Romance, Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World and Good Charlotte, Rickard said.

“This event is an opportunity to honor the hard work and dedication of our students and families, and to share the joy of performance with the greater North Allegheny community. Bringing people together through great music is at the heart of what we do, and we are proud to showcase the great work of our students,” she said.

The “Anthems on Parade” show will be performed at home and away football games and band festivals throughout the fall season.

“Our students have been enjoying the challenge of learning both the music and the visual elements of the show to put together an exciting and high-energy show for the community,” Rickard said.

The Tiger Marching Band serves the school and local community by performing at a variety of events, including parades, festivals, football games and more, she said.

Each year, the band pursues new performance opportunities and travels to represent North Allegheny outside the local area. Recent highlights include appearances at the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Pegasus Parade, the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Magic Kingdom Parade at Walt Disney World.

In 2024, the band performed at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opening game at Acrisure Stadium, she said.

The community preview show also will include a bake sale and 50-50 raffle benefiting the band.

The North Allegheny District Band Patrons assists the band with snacks, meals, volunteers and chaperones, uniforms and additional financial support.

The preview show gives the community a chance to see all the hard work the students accomplished, especially at the two-week camp, which started Aug. 4, said Molly Wetmore, president of the North Allegheny District Band Patrons, whose son, Charlie, is a senior percussionist.

“Band camp is a lot of work. The kids are there for eight hours a day over … two weeks — marching, memorizing music, and getting to know each other,” said Wetmore, a 1992 North Allegheny graduate and former band flutist.

Her daughter, Lizzie, who graduated in 2021, also played flute.

Wetmore added the band is special because it’s “a place where all the kids can feel included as they are a part of something extraordinary.”

Many of the band members also are active in other North Allegheny performing arts groups such as concert band, jazz band, choir, orchestra and musical theater, Rickard said.

In addition to their artistic pursuits, students maintain rigorous academic schedules and participate in numerous athletic teams and extracurricular activities, she said.