The sound of music filled the Ted Carlson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 18 as Rockford hosted the 28th annual Rockford Marching Band Invitational. This year, 21 bands took the field in competition with Rockford’s own performing in exhibition to close the evening of performances.
RGates opened at 1 p.m. and the opening ceremony took place at 2 p.m. Admission fees for this band fundraiser were $7 for adults, $5 for students/seniors, or $20 for a family of four or more. Senior passes are not honored at this event, due to being the main fundraiser of the year for the Rockford Public Schools band program.
Bands were separated into different flight classes based on the total number of students in their school. Each performance was evaluated by a panel of judges for music performance, music effect, marching performance and their overall visual effect. The judges gave each band important feedback about its performance, recognizing achievements as well as suggesting modifications. Awards were given for the highest scores in each classification, and bands were ranked within their flight class. In addition, each band’s color guard and percussion section was also judged, but these scores were separate from the overall scoring. At the end of the evening, a grand champion for the invitational was also announced.
Flight C competition began at approximately 2:05 p.m. and the music continued throughout the remainder of the day with Rockford closing the show at 8:45 p.m. with their “steel, steam and speed show,” followed by the final award presentations.
Concessions were be available throughout the day. In addition, raffle tickets for a chance to win a new 2011 Chevrolet Malibu was also on sale. Proceeds from the car raffle help provide transportation costs for the band performances for all age groups, including the upcoming performance at Walt Disney World over Christmas break. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Tickets are also available at any home football game or at Kool Chevrolet on Plainfield Ave. in Grand Rapids. For more information, visit the Rockford band’s website at www.rockfordbands.org.
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