Ohio High School Marching Band Instruments Stolen Before Disney World Performance

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A high school marching band from Ohio heading to Walt Disney World to perform in a parade arrived to find many of their instruments had been stolen from their trailer overnight.

Students and staff from Ashland High School in Ohio traveled to Orlando for spring break, completing a long 22-hour bus ride. On March 29, 2026, they discovered that thieves had broken into their locked trailer near the hotel and stolen many of the band’s instruments.

The Theft

The thieves took a variety of instruments – clarinets, trumpets, trombones, and saxophones. Many of these instruments weren’t school property; they actually belonged to the students themselves.

Brigitte Klotzek, a parent involved with the school band, explained that many of the instruments were special to the students, either because they were gifts or held cherished memories.

Klotzek explained that these instruments are often family heirlooms or gifts, carrying a lot of personal memories for the students. For many of them, it’s more than just a musical instrument – it’s a connection to their past.

One of the items was a special gift from the student’s father, who had recently passed away.

“This is something that cannot be really replaced,” Klotzek said.

Band director Marty Kral was one of the first to notice a problem: the locks on the equipment trailer were gone, despite being there the previous night. This left hundreds of students, staff, and volunteers scrambling to prepare for the next day’s performance with a limited number of instruments.

On With the Performance

It was amazing to see the community rally around the students after their instruments were lost! School officials and volunteers immediately started calling every music store in Orlando, trying to rent replacements. Luckily, several stores chipped in, and by late Sunday night, they’d managed to get almost everything needed. The story that really got me, though, was about a saxophone. One of the staff members somehow connected with a parent late at night, and they borrowed one from another high school band that was actually visiting from Ohio! It was a real team effort, and honestly, it just shows how much people care about music education.

By the next day’s parade, every student had an instrument. Some students were playing instruments they hadn’t used before, but that didn’t stop the band from marching as scheduled.

The Ashland High School Marching Band performed at Walt Disney World on March 30, 2026, parading down Main Street, U.S.A. Their performance included a version of the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” for park guests.

Conclusion

Local police were notified about the theft and are currently investigating. As of early April 2026, no one has been arrested in connection with the case.

The loss wasn’t just about the money—it cost thousands of dollars—but also deeply affected students who had strong emotional connections to their instruments.

After the band’s performance, we wrapped up the rest of our trip and headed back to Ohio. We made sure to return all the rental instruments we’d used in the march. It’s really frustrating, though, because the school still hasn’t announced how they plan to replace the instruments that were stolen – and as a huge music fan, that’s a big worry. Hopefully they figure something out soon so the program can continue!

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2026-04-10 00:56