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The Columbus Elementary Fifth Grade Band was jazzed when they heard they were going to take a day off from school to play at "Fleet Day" in Rye.
"They were really excited to be here," said Barbara Schulz, the band's music instructor. "They've never played outside before."
The band had been invited down from Thornwood through one of Schulz's friends in the county police department.
Following the opening procession of bagpipers and police on motorcycles, the band came up to the stage, instruments in hand, to play the national anthem. Afterward they played the upbeat jazz number "Jammin' With Charlie."
Their audience was made up of police, firemen and other emergency responders from across Westchester County, who had gathered for the annual event to share information about their repsonse capabilities.
"With the county executive up there, they were kind of nervous," Schulz said. "But they did great."
They spent the rest of the day watching demonstrations with bomb squad robots and police canine units, enjoying a well-earned field trip.
"Even though they're having fun, they're still learning," Schulz said.
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