Cloudy skies, wind and rain did not dampen spirits at the 2016 MSBOA District 6 Marching Festival hosted at Niles High School on Oct. 12.
In spite of inclement weather forcing the last half of the bands to perform their marching shows in place, three local schools — Buchanan, Edwardsburg and Niles — scored a “Superior I” rating. Brandywine and Cassopolis, among the performers able to preform their entire marching show, secured “Excellent II” ratings for their performances.
“I thought the evening went great, even with the rain,” said Joshua Doe, director of bands at Niles Community Schools and host of the event. “Judging was very fair and the site ran very smoothly. It was a bummer that it was so wet, but all the bands did a nice job getting through it.”
The decision was made just prior to the 6:30 p.m. performance of the Berrien Springs Marching Band to have bands perform their marching shows in place, due to the condition of the field and the safety of the students. Doe said the decision was not made lightly and was made by a group consisting of the president of the district, Doe himself, and the band directors.
Being judged at a marching competition without actually marching changes everything, according to Doe. “The kids all wanted to march their shows, and were disappointed when they had to stand still, and everyone would be judged solely on music,” he said. “I think they realized they had a tougher job to do than if they had been marching.”
Brandywine was the first to perform their show, titled “Dance!”
“I think they did a great job,” Doe said. “Ruth Livengood, the director, is building a very good program. They are well on their way. It’s just a matter of time for them to build on what they’ve started.”
Ross Beatty High School’s “Road to the Olympics!” is the product of second year director Sean Keck. “Cass has a young director with some exciting ideas and a positive attitude,” Doe said. “They would be proud of their rating. They did a great job.”
“Immortal: The Music of Beethoven,” was the show that earned Buchanan High School a Division I rating.
Edwardsburg’s 101-member marching band entertained with their “Out of the Wild” performance. “Edwardsburg’s performance was very good, really cool music selections, fun varieties,” Doe said. “They are going to have a great season.”
“The Heist” was the final show of the evening, performed by Niles High School.
“Musically, the kids played well,” the band director said. “In spite of losing the fun element of our Heist theme, we were still able to tell the story. I am proud of the way they are playing expressively.”
While Doe said he would not really change anything major for next year’s performance, he said Niles plans to host again, and thanked the many people who helped plan the event.
“I am very, very, appreciative for all the parents, volunteers and workers we had (at MSBOA), and would like to give a big thank you to the NHS and Ring Lardner custodial staff, for getting festival changes done due to weather issues,” he said.