Disney Photo Site Features Group on Parade in Magic Kingdom
Band members and parents who wish to see and/or purchase Disney-owned photos of the Magic Kingdom Parade performance on Monday, May 25, 2009 should send their email address to: bzybband@aol.com . Your email should contain your name and student member's name for verification.
Mr. McConnell will then email to you the "shared" site which allows you to access the 127 various photos of the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees' parade performance. At that site you may choose any of the photos, including size, style and frame options, for you to order directly through Disney.
All financial transactions go directly to Disney - as they are sole owners of the photos.
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees departed for Orlando, Florida and Disney World on May 23rd. The group arrived in Savannah Saturday night and left early Sunday morning for the EPCOT Center. On Monday, May 25, the group visited the Magic Kingdom and performed in the "Celebrate A Dream Come True" Parade down Mainstreet USA. The Memorial Day performance at the Magic Kingdom marked the 11th performance by the band at Walt Disney World since 1974.
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees perform in the "Celebrate A Dream Come True"
Parade down Mainstreet U.S.A. in Walt Disney World.
On Tuesday, May 26, the band visited Disney's Hollywood Studios, formerly Disney - MGM Studios. The group also visited Planet Hollywood before returning to Fairmont on May 27th. The band then bid farewell to the Class of 2009 on Friday, May 29th at East Fairmont High School. CONGRATULATIONS, Class of 2009! Pictures
We're always looking to add to our Alumni listing here at busybeeband.com. If you're a past member of the group, please e-mail Mike Swisher to be added to our Alumni Listing or check our current listings to see if your information is correct. Or if you have any stories or photos to share, you may also e-mail them to Mike at busy.bee.band@gmail.com. And, when you have a few free minutes, take a moment to browse through all of the alumni information in the Alumni Center. Full Story
Classes of 1960 - 1967 Band Reunion
Band members, students and boosters of “Randall Hall EFHS Years” are planning a reunion to be held on Saturday, July 18, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Christopher's. If you are interested in additional information, go to http://www.classmates.com and enter your class year and visit the activities section. Or you can e-mail John Maddox at
jnlmaddox@verizon.net.
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees has been featured in another national publication, gracing the cover of the April 2009 School Band & Orchestra Magazine. The magazine features an interview with Mr. McConnell in which he discusses carrying on his father's legacy and traditions, while bringing the program into the 21st century. SBO is received by 20,000 school band and orchestra directors in grade schools, middle schools,
high schools, and selected colleges in the United States 12 times a year. There are also thousands
of additional copies circulated at the major music educators events throughout the year. Article
Follies 2009 opened to a capacity crowd at the East Fairmont Auditorium on Thursday, April 2nd. The show features the Honeybees in several numbers, including a rendition of "Our Favorite Son" from the Will Rogers Follies. Other features include Highlights from the Movie Sound Track of Mamma Mia!, Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits and a Legends of Rock medley.
Follies 2009 also features a scenes from Walt Disney World as the band prepares for their 11th Performance in the Magic Kingdom since 1974. To close the first half of the show, the band honors the 200th Birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The Sunday mantinee marks the final performance of Follies 2009. Over 3000 patrons attended the annual production in the East Fairmont High School Auditorium. Pictures | Follies 2009 DVD Order Form
The Honeybees in "Our Favorite Son" during Follies 2009
On Monday, January 19th, the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees participated in Governor Joe Manchin's Second Inaugural Parade in Charleston, West Virginia. The group led the Governor and First Lady at the beginning of the parade down Kanawha Boulevard. Following the parade, the group staged a photo in front of the State Capitol building before returning to Fairmont. Photos
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees stand in front of the West Virginia Capitol building following their performance in Governor Joe Manchin's Second Inaugural Parade.
34th Annual Busy Bee Band Ad Page in Times-West Virginian - Band's Bahamas performance venture lands two national magazine covers!
The annual Busy Bee Band & Honeybees "Ad Page" appeared in the Times-West Virginian on Friday, November 7th. This pictorial fund-raiser page is an annual insert in the Time-West Virginian that traditionally appears on the day of the East/West Game and highlights accomplishments of the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees from the preceding and current year. This year's page highlights the band's performance trip last march to Nassau, Bahamas. With photos of their performances both on the island as well as aboard ship, the group's experience was featured on front covers of two national publications - “Teach and Travel", courtesy of SYTA and “Teaching Music” courtesy of Music Educators National Conference - (MENC). This marks the third story on the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees in the past 18 months in educational publications - with the remaining article in the June 2007 "Instrumentalist" magazine.
Individuals and businesses purchase "ads" for the page which supports the band organization. The Ad Page has been a major fundraiser for the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees for several years. You can download the full pages in PDF form here:
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees have once again been featured in a national magazine. The band is featured on the cover of the August Issue of Teaching Music, which is distributed nationally by the Music Educators National Conference. This makes the 3rd national magazine in which the group has featured in the last 18-months.
The magazine article focuses on the challenges and rewards of travel for musical groups. In addition to the cover, the band is featured prominently in the magazine in a double-page spread picture from the recent trip to the Bahamas. Full Article
On April 3, 2008, the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees opened Follies 2008 to a sold-out audience at the East Fairmont High School Auditorium. Follies 2008 marked the 36th Annual Production of spring tradition . The show started with the band playing the opening fanfare from "That's Entertainment" followed by "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "Comedy Tonight." The Honeybees were then featured during "Riffin' the Blues." The Opening Overture ended with a reprise of "Comedy Tonight" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." Follies 2008 Highlights
Busy Bee Band Performs at Rawson Square; Aboard Fascination
Featured Videos on Banddirector.com from aboard the Fascination and On-Shore
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees departed the Port of Miami on Friday around 4:30 p.m. for Nassau in the Bahamas. Following a brief overview of safety procedures, the Carnival Cruiser Fascination set sail with the 180-member band aboard. On Saturday, the group performed a stand-up show at Rawson Square which literally shut down streets in Nassua. During the performance, the band exchanged proclamations from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin and the Bahamas Minister of Tourism. The band paraded back to port following the performance. Saturday afternoon, the group went to Paradise Island, which is famous for the Atlantis Hotel Complex. There, the band spent a few hours at the beach before a quick shopping spree in Nassau.
Busy Bee Band & Honeybees perform at Rawson Square in Nassau, Bahamas
The 2007 Field Show season has wound to a close following a historical run by the East Fairmont football team. Despite a magnificent defensive effort that saw the Bees hold St. Albans to 14 points, the Bees were unable to score late and lost to the Red Dragons 14-12 in the 3rd Round of the State Playoffs. Performances included the Fairmont Senior, Morgantown and Peters Township Band Festivals along with trips to University, George Washington and St. Albans. Full Story
Band Leaves Impression in Southern West Virginia The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees left quite an impression on many in Charleston during the East Fairmont / George Washington game and on Hurricane fans who traveled to East-West Stadium for the East Fairmont / Hurricane Game. The performance at Laidley Field was the first field show performance for the group in Charleston since 1992. Here are a few of the comments the band has received:
"I just wanted to let you and your band members know how impressed I was with your bands performance at Laidley Field during the half-time of your most recent playoff game.
As impressed as I was with your football team, the band just blew me away. Your school and community have something to be really proud of.
My wife and I will be attending your next game at St. Albans, mainly so my wife can see your performance at half-time. Keep up the good work."
"Your band is one of the best, if not the best HS bands, I have ever seen. Watched your football team beat GW and when I walked into Laidley Field that night the first thing I saw was the size of your band standing in the stands. Your participation during the game and your halftime performance was great. You remind me of a smaller version of the WVU band. Your band and the Honeybees are awesome. Your school, from what I witnessed, has alot of School Spirit. I am very glad I attended that football game. Thank you Fairmont East."
"I went to Laidley Field Friday nite to watch a high school football game and ended up seeing the MOST AWESOME high school band I've EVER seen!!! GREAT SHOW!!!! WOW!!! 1st Class school, 1st Class band. You were the highlight of the evening for EVERYONE on BOTH sides of the field. Keep up the great work, you 'all are AWESOME!!!"
"Really enjoyed the show last Saturday! As a past majorette, I especially enjoyed your drill team/majorettes. I loved their uniformity/presence. I could easily tell that the members of the band are very well respected from the other students of the school. Congratulations and good luck in the future!!"
and from Rich Stevens at the Charleston Daily Mail:
At halftime of the GW-East Fairmont quarterfinal game, I went to my car to listen to the radio and get scores from other games. Unfortunately they never came and, what's more, I missed the halftime show put on by the East Fairmont band. When I returned, everyone raved about the performance put on by the band. Halftime is usually reserved for trips to the restroom and concession stand — usually in that order. All I got to see was the band lined up in the next-to-last section of the visitors' side near at Laidley Field, lined up uniformly and playing sometimes between plays. I was impressed enough by that, but when I had everybody gushing about the halftime performance, I realized I should've stayed. Chalk one up for the Bees band. It gives me a renewed respect for high school bands.
The East Fairmont football team celebrates their victory over Hurricane in the first round of the state playoffs with the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees at East/West Stadium.
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees of East Fairmont joined the Polar Bear Band of Fairmont Senior for pre-game at the 87th Annual East-West Game to honor veterans of all branches of service. The combined bands joined to play "Armed Forces Salute," which is a medley that contains the official song for each branch. The groups then joined together to play the "Star Spangled Banner" as a large flag stretching from the 30-yard line to the 30-yard line was held by members of each organization. Both groups performed their individual shows at halftime. Pictures
East Fairmont and Fairmont Senior high school bands presented a combined patriotic program before Friday's EastWest game during which veterans from all branches of service were honored
This year's field show includes The Jacksons' hit "Can You Feel It," along with "Turn the Beat Around," "Power Station" and "Flashdance (What a Feeling)". The Honeybees traditional kickline is to the swing number "Dreamsville Rock." Pictures
John Veasey - Times-West Virginian: The Busy Bee Band
Boosters have provided a major boost to the East-West Stadium turf project.
Last Thursday they presented a check to Dr. James B. Phares, superintendent of Marion County Schools, in the amount of $12,000 to support the turf project.
The presentation followed a three-week fundraising campaign by the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees to sell ceramic tiles for the main entrance Tunnel at East-West Stadium. Each tile depicts the official logo of the band along with the individual's name and graduating class year at a cost of $50. Full Story | Tile the Tunnel Order Form
Pictured in front of the first 164 “Busy Bee Band Tiles” placed on the tunnel wall at East-West Stadium are Frank Moore, FAAdirector; Dr. James Phares, superintendent of schools; Jim Wilson, Busy Bee Band Booster president; and David Nuzum, EFHS principal.
Highlights from New York City and the 2006 Field Show from Follies 2007 have been added to the Multimedia Library. Additionally, the 2006 field show from the Thomas Jefferson High School Band Spectacular and the 2005 field show from the Morgantown High School Band Spectacular have been uploaded in full to YouTube and can be found on the Multimedia page. Stay tuned as we continue to add video of the band from past years and, soon, from this year. Multimedia Library
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees returned Sunday night from Norfolk, Virginia where they participated in the 54th International Azalea Festival. Seventeen high school bands representing six states participated in the event. The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees were awarded Best Overall Marching, Best Overall Music and Queen Bee Meghan Kinty was awarded Best Drum Major. The group was presented as Grand Champions of the Parade of Nations, winning a gold medal representing a rating in the 90th percentile based on a national grading scale. Full Story
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees march in the 54th International Azalea Festival Parade of Nations
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees Photo Gallery has been updated with pictures celebrating the rich tradition of the organization. Take a moment to look back on some of the memorable performance of yesteryear. Full Story
The Busy Bee Band from East Fairmont High School is sharing the “New York Experience” with schools throughout North America. Members of the Busy Bee Band are pictured marching down Seventh Avenue in New York last May when the band visited Rockefeller Center and also the USS Intrepid. The picture is on the cover of the March issue of Student & Youth Traveler.
“This magazine goes to 35,000 schools in North America, and we were just fortunate enough to get on the cover,” Director Earl W. McConnell said — beaming with pride as he displayed the magazine cover. Full Story
For the second time in three months, the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees have been featured in a prominent national magazine. For over 60 years school band and orchestra directors have depended on The Instrumentalist for practical information to use with their ensembles. In their June 2007 issue, the magazine features an Interview with the the Director of the Busy Bee Band & Honeybees, Mr. Earl McConnell, and examines the travels of the band throughout the country and the contributions made at home. Full Story
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees have returned from a very successful trip to New York City. While there, the group paraded through the streets of New York before performing in the Plaza at Rockefeller Center. They also performed on the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid. The group attended "The Lion King" Saturday night and spent most of Sunday site-seeing around the city. Full Story & Pictures
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees perform at the Plaza at Rockefeller Center. Following the performance, the band traveled to the new "Top of the Rock."
2008-2009
We're always looking to add to our Alumni listing here at busybeeband.com. If you're a past member of the group, please e-mail 
The Busy Bee Band & Honeybees have once again been featured in a national magazine. The band is featured on the cover of the August Issue of Teaching Music, which is distributed nationally by the 
safety procedures, the Carnival Cruiser Fascination set sail with the 180-member band aboard. On Saturday, the group performed a stand-up show at Rawson Square which literally shut down streets in Nassua. During the performance, the band exchanged proclamations from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin and the Bahamas Minister of Tourism. The band paraded back to port following the performance. Saturday afternoon, the group went to Paradise Island, which is famous for the Atlantis Hotel Complex. There, the band spent a few hours at the beach before a quick shopping spree in Nassau. 
