Drum major and San Benito High School student Rebecca Cartelli is about to lead the way to London.
Cartelli, 17, the drum major that marches in front of the San Benito High School Scarlet Regiment Band, was invited to perform in the world-famous London New Year’s Day Parade after she was selected as an All-American drum major at one of the camps hosted by the United Spirit Association this summer.
The next step is paying for it. The trip costs approximately $4,000 for lodging, food, airfare and excursions, according to Cartelli’s gofundme.com website.
While Cartelli’s love of band is about to take her overseas, it began years ago in grade school.
“I showed up to my very first marching rehearsal in sixth grade and I saw this person at the front of the band and I was like, ‘What do they do? What are they called?’” she said. “It just looked so fascinating. And I was like, ‘I want to learn about that and I want to do it.’”
At the time, Cartelli was playing clarinet, but by seventh grade she had switched to drum major. Music is something she plans to pursue in college, but not as a degree, she said. The high school senior is hoping to attend University of California, Berkeley or UC-Riverside where she’ll trade some musical scoresfor chemical engineering courses.
“I’m looking to stay involved in band,” she said. “But for a career choice, I’m thinking engineer.”
The all-A’s student boasts an impressive 4.43 GPA, takes advanced placement courses taught at a college level, and still makes time for band classes every other day plus rehearsals Tuesday and Thursday evenings, she said.
When Cartelli learned she had chance to go to London to perform, she was “shocked and extremely excited,” the drum major said.
“I could not believe that I was actually going to be given this opportunity to go and represent my school and my country in London,” she said.
To help Cartelli get to London, go to her crowd funding website: gofundme.com/DMCartelli.
What are the odds?
Rebecca Cartelli was invited to perform in the London New Year’s Day Parade after she was selected as an All-American drum major at one of the summer camps hosted by the United Spirit Association. Of the more than 325,000 students who attended the summer camp sessions, only the top 7-10 percent earned the chance to march in the parade.
