For J.P. Taravella High School band captain, Ethan Morrison, the enduring memory of Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration is that of first lady Michelle Obama dancing as the band performed the Stevie Wonder song “You are the Sunshine of my Life.”

“We were like 25 feet away from Obama and his family,” Morrison said. “Both Obama and his wife are big Stevie Wonder fans. He is their favorite entertainer. It was awesome to see her dancing; Obama was waving all the time.”

Kristen Albert, junior at the school and among the 172 band members that took part in the inauguration, still remembers the moment the enormity and significance of the occasion hit her.

“It was about 6:15 p.m. when we marched, and it was really dark,” Albert said. “As we turned the corner to where the reviewing stand was, it was so bright that it looked like it was still day. There was such a big contingent of photographers and television crew waiting there. I got chills; that is one moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

For drum major Yeji Kim, the day didn’t look anything near perfect until the band started marching.

“It was really cold; I was frozen for much of the parade,” Kim said. “We had frozen bread with stuffed cheese for lunch; I didn’t feel too good going into the parade. But all that changed when we marched past Obama with the light shining down on us. I like him; I made up my mind after I saw some of the debates. He inspires me.”