Arts & Culture
AFHS Marching Band surprises local businesses
Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
The American Fork High School Marching Band brought music to businesses across Utah Valley in a unique way. Dressed in &Collar shirts, the band paraded through town, surprising offices with a “Severance”-inspired performance on Aug. 21.
Based in Utah, &Collar makes high-quality dress shirts. The company has now started rolling out more casual options, ready for the office or a date. To celebrate, &Collar decided to team up with the AFHS Marching Band and parade down the halls of local businesses AwardCo, Gabb and Redo. Inspired by the hit TV show “Severance,” Brian Nielson, CMO of &Collar, began organizing all the details.
“When the marching band came in at the end of season 2, we loved that part. We thought it was so cool,” Nielson shared. “It’s really memorable to have a marching band going through a live office.”
Dressed as the conductor, Nielson sneakily took students through the elevators at the various businesses, quietly unloading everyone and waiting for the surprise. As one of the top bands in the country, AFHS stepped up to the challenge.
“We wanted to do the exact song from the TV show,” Nielson said. “We wanted to show that &Collar is built for the workplace.”
When the moment finally came, the band paraded through the halls, pounding drums, playing trumpets, and everything in between. Office workers came out to see the show, shocked and delighted by what they found. With phones out to film every detail, the surprise was a smash hit.
“It was so loud because we had the full marching band. We did it as a bit of a stunt to show that &Collar is for more than just church and missions,” Nielson explained. “Everyone loved it. … The majority of people had seen ‘Severance’ and thought it was awesome.”
The experience was also a great one for the band. They helped coach Nielson on his directing skills while also getting the chance to play in a unique environment and create lasting memories.
“We wanted something bigger than a billboard, bigger than an email,” Nielson laughed.
&Collar hopes to continue making high-quality dress shirts for church, the office and other needs. For more information, visit www.andcollar.com.
