East Northport family has deep roots in marching band

With the soulful sounds of an Earth, Wind & Fire song echoing down Laurel Hill Road on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the Becker family cheered on the Northport High School marching band and Aidan Giangiulio — a third-generation member of the family to take part in a storied tradition.

"My father played the drums, I knew he was in marching band," said Lisa Becker, 45, Aidan's mom and a member of the Northport High School Class of 1997, as she watched. "But it wasn’t until I, myself, as the oldest got here, and then it really took off from there."

Becker, who played the cymbals and lives in East Northport, led a second generation of marching band members that included her siblings: Denise Zagari, also of East Northport, who graduated in the Northport High School Class of 2000; Diana Rose Becker-Gorkin, of Atlanta, a member of the Northport High Class of 2003; and Matthew Becker, of East Northport, in Northport High's Class of 2007. 

"We really became a big part of the band," Lisa said. "We were here for a long time."

Now, Aidan is continuing the family’s legacy. He plays bells on the drum line and took part in the parade before the school’s homecoming. It’s among a series of events the marching band participates in — a busy list that includes the Northport Memorial Day parade, home football games and high-profile appearances, like an upcoming visit to Washington, D.C., for the national Memorial Day parade.

"There’s a lot of expectations going into it, but it’s been pretty good so far," Aidan, in Northport High's Class of 2028, said. "It’s a lot of time and work, but I’ve been enjoying it."

He’s the first of the youngest members of the family to establish a role on the band.

Lily Zagari, an eighth-grader, is on kick line and plays clarinet. Grace Zagari, a fifth-grader, plays drums. They are next in line to carry that torch, their family said.

Christopher Powell, a third-grader in the family, is taking drum lessons and plans to join the band down the line. And then there is Michael Zagari, who is in kindergarten; William Becker, who is in pre-K; and Amelia Becker, who is 1, standing as the next potential band members.

Denise Zagari, 42, said she cherished the camaraderie throughout her time playing bells in the drum line and being a member of the school’s flag line.

"The friendships, being part of something in the school, going away to band camp, was fun," she said. "It’s exciting that we’ve all been part of this. It’s exciting for me to see my kids wanting to do something that we all did."

Bill Becker, 70, of East Northport, who attended the parade, said he never thought his time in the Plainview High School marching band in the late 1960s and early ’70s would start a family tradition.

"They all look back on it with good memories," he said of his family. "Especially in Northport, it’s become such a tradition."

That tradition comes with a level of dedication, from summertime band camp to the Newsday Marching Band Festival, which will take place for the 60th time from Tuesday to Thursday at Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

"It’s challenging, it’s not easy," Bill said. But that time and effort comes with a rewarding payoff.

"It teaches them to be a team," he said.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ