NILES — On Wednesday afternoon, Brandywine, Buchanan and Niles high school marching band students will stand at attention in Niles Viking Stadium at 1441 Eagle St., horns and woodwinds gleaming. Then, with the fall of drum majors’ hands, they will fall into the movements and music of their performances.

The bands are three of 11 performing at the Michigan State Band and Orchestra Association District 6 Marching Band Festival, starting at about 3:30 p.m. The students will take the field and perform for about 15 minutes in front of an audience and judges, who will score each band non-competitively on music, marching and general effect.

Buchanan’s and Niles’ bands will be directed by Deanna Russell and Connie Wicklund, who are in their first seasons at their respective districts. Brandywine will be guided by seven-year director Ruth Livengood.

All three bands, however, are seeking to build off the legacies their programs’ histories have created.

Livengood recalled a time when Brandywine’s marching band had more than 120 members. From the 1970s to 1990s, it played at the state level time after time.

“Brandywine’s music program used to be legendary,” she said.

When she took over the program, its numbers had dropped to just above single digits. She made it her mission to build the program back up with the help of band directors’ past.

Now, 83 students will perform at the MSBOA competition with the knowledge that the band has scored an overall “1,” the highest score attainable, at the event the past four years. Last year, during concert season, it scored straight “1s” along its grading categories.

“We still are relishing in the fact that we’re able to do this,” Livengood said. “I feel like this is the most capable ensemble we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

While the group goal is to be graded well, Livengood has set a goal for the band members individually, too.

“[The] individual goal is to say you’ve left your best on the field every single time,” she said. “If we’re growing, if those kids are doing better today as opposed to yesterday, that is the goal.”

Unlike Livengood, Wicklund took on the Niles band program this year at its peak number of students, more than150.

This is Wicklund’s 11th year teaching band, and she made it a goal to continue Niles’ legacy under previous director Josh Doe, while adding her own flair.

Like Livengood’s band, Wicklund cited marching technique as a potential mark-down by judges. Livengood said marching form could be a problem; Wicklund said extraneous movement.

She believes the students’ dynamics and style will be the band’s best quality, and performing on home turf should make its members feel comfortable.

“The more fun they have, the better they perform,” she said. “The number one goal is to have a better performance than the previous performances.”

Buchanan band director Russell has a similar vision for Wednesday and the rest of the season.

“We’re giving a performance that overall feels better, and we know is better, without a question than our performances in the past,” she said. “That’s always the goal, growing and getting better. I know they want to come home with more trophies, that visual representation of how much better we’re doing.”

Russell said Buchanan’s band has a tradition of excellence, and she wants to continue it.

She remembers Buchanan’s marching band’s excellence back when she was a student at River Valley School District.

Her sister played the mellophone in Buchanan, too, and Russell remembers her finding comfort among her peers. Russell has that sense of comfort with her students and supportive staff now.

“They’re phenomenal musicians and really great people,” she said of her students. “Responsible, welcoming, wonderful people, and they made me feel right at home when I came in.”

Eleventh-grade band members Serynn Nowlin and Annie Borst said the transition to a new band director made the program feel different, but the transition has been going well overall.

Borst, the color guard’s section leader, said the band’s attitude has been strong, and Nowlin, the low brass section leader, said the band’s musicality sounds good.

Both said the key to Wednesday’s success is coming together as a group.

“We really need to start buckling down more,” Borst said. “We really just need to get everything hashed out and then start cleaning it.”

If any of the three bands are unable to buckle down enough Wednesday, each will have other opportunities to perform and hone in their technique.

Aside from halftime performances at football games, Brandywine will compete in competitive invitationals at Lakeshore High School in Stevensville on Oct. 12 and East Kentwood High School Oct. 19 in Kentwood.

Buchanan will perform at the Jenison Marching Band Invitational Oct. 19 in Jenison, Michigan, and the Westshore Invitational Oct. 26 in Sparta, Michigan. Both opportunities offer Buchanan a chance to perform at a statewide final competition at Ford Field.

Area residents wishing to watch Wednesday’s performances can pay $5 per adult, $3 per student and senior citizen or $15 per family at Niles Viking Stadium to watch. The event runs from 3:30 to approximately 7:30 p.m. Niles will perform at 4 p.m., Brandywine will perform at 4:30 p.m. and Buchanan will perform at 6 p.m.