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In the spirit of the NYC Marathon, the BLMHS
Band will play the theme song from Rocky for four straight hours on
November 6, 2005. The school sits on the route of the marathon
between Clermont and Vanderbilt on Lafayette in Brooklyn. The
students set up early in the morning and begin playing as the first
wave of participants approach at about 9:30 am.
Just over eight miles into the course the runners begin to hear the beat of that recognizable song. For the past 27 years runners have come to appreciate and expect the music. They show their affection by throwing air punches, taking pictures and even dancing. Band Director Louis Maffei will be orchestrating this event with a band consisting of 150 students. Mr. Maffei who has been with Loughlin for 28 years, has conducted this event every single year
 Playing the same song for four hours straight
is not how most high school students spend their Sunday mornings.
Steven Garcia ‘05 played the saxophone his junior and senior years.
“It was tiring but cool. I got to see people from all over the world
and everybody’s heard the Rocky theme song, so they would get all
pumped up. It brings a smile to your face and theirs, and that helps
you keep playing.”
The school originally was a water station run
by former track coach Ed Bowes. Being one of the original members of
the Road Runners Club, Mr. Bowes was highly involved with the
marathon. Mr. Bowes joked one year with Fred Lebow, the founder of
the NYC Marathon, about how funny it would be if the school band
played the theme from the new Rocky movie at the Loughlin water
station. So in 1979, with a handful of musicians Bishop Loughlin
became the first band to play music for the runners.
As a result the school received many positive
letters from runners. Fred Lebow afterwards thanked the school and
the Loughlin band became a mainstay on the marathon course.
Mr. Bowes, who has run the marathon, says that
“as a runner you can hear the music from half a mile away. It really
motivates you and encourages you to continue. You keep running and
it gets louder and louder, reaching a crescendo at the school.”
Loughlin Alumnus Rudy Giuliani who used to ride
in the front of the marathon as mayor, often stopped to show his
appreciation to his alma mater by shaking hands and thanking the
band.
Louis Maffei is looking forward to his 27th
marathon. He says, “the runners love the music” and that makes him
love what he does with the band. Just as the runners are practicing,
prepping and training for the event, so are Mr. Maffei and all of
the 150 members of the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Band.
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