Art After Dark returns to Houma
September 5, 2012
Chartering a Comeback
September 5, 2012
Sixteen high school bands march in Buddy Marcello Stadium this month as a synchronized competition season commences its second year.
Vandebilt Terrier Regiment Director Brad Adams says the competitions are good-natured culminations of time and money invested into band programs.
The Preview of Champions is the first one this year, running from mid-afternoon until nighttime on Sept. 22.
“You’re looking at some of the best kids in every school doing something cooperative, supporting each other and they spend a lot of time, a lot of money getting programs there,” Adams says. “It’s good entertainment if you like music.”
Thibodaux, E.D. White, Ellender, Terrebonne and South Terrebonne high schools are among the 16 teams expected to compete. Central Lafourche and South Lafourche high schools, the grand champion and reserve grand champion, respectively, are also performing.
Bands are scored in eight categories: general effect music, individual analysis music, music ensemble, general effect visual, individual analysis visual, visual ensemble, auxiliary and percussion.
Because Vandebilt is the host, the Terrier Regiment is not competing. The 140-member group instead performs an exhibition following the 8 p.m. awards ceremony.
The event ushers in the second Louisiana Marching Band Circuit season. The circuit provides its member bands a series of competitions overseen by trained adjudicators based on consistent standards.
Central States Judging Association reviewers from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Texas bestow numerical scores for each band in each category.
“Before the circuit started, we would all compete, but every weekend a different show would have different rules,” Adams says. “The judges would look at different things based on how that show was run. You could never prepare, you could never teach.”
LMBC has changed that. The criteria are aligned from one event to the next, and each judge has a specialized task, such as sampling with a digital recorder from the field, critiquing visual aspects or judging the composition. Participants are given copies of all recordings and can discuss performance with the judges.
The meticulous judging structure accented by free-flowing feedback breeds band and instructor improvement, Adams says.
“We have to be a whole lot better than we used to be because we’re responsible for a whole lot more,” Adams says. “You need to make sure you’re putting your kids in a position to succeed.”
After the season opener, the circuit moves to Destrehan High School on Sept. 29, Parkview Baptist High School on Oct. 6, Acadiana High School on Oct. 13 and Southeastern Louisiana University on Oct. 20. Central Lafourche High School hosts the circuit championship on Oct. 27.
“The capacity of the crowd is bigger than the stadium is used to holding,” Adams says. “Every show that you go to, the stadium is going to be full because every kid is participating, they’re all in, there’s no second team with what we do. Everybody’s participating, and their families come. About every show that you go to, the stadium is at capacity, which is pretty cool to see.”
The Preview of Champions is held in the afternoon on Sept. 22 at Buddy Marcello Stadium at Vandebilt Catholic High School, 209 S. Hollywood Road, Houma. Tickets cost $5. For more information, call (985) 804-1516.
The Vandebilt Terrier Regiment’s drum line rehearses after school in anticipation of the competition circuit.
