Regional competitions for the Virginia Marching Band Cooperative are held each September and October.
On Saturday, October 27, the Blue Ridge Band Regional Competition made its way to the Salem Football Stadium. During the six-hour competition, teams throughout Virginia displayed their talents in front of five judges and thousands of attendees.
The 14 high school bands were broken into five groups: Group 1A – Stuarts Draft, Covington and Altavista; Group 2A – Heritage, Robert E. Lee, Tunstall, Holston and Charlottesville; Group 3A – EC Glass, Franklin County and Brookville; Group 4A – William Byrd and Lord Botetourt; and Group 5A – Jefferson Forest and Salem High.
“This is a competition of high school bands bringing their productions to their fans and supporters. It is a great opportunity for small, medium and larger band programs to meet and share the art form of music in motion,” said Jody Jones who served as a judge. “The Pride of Salem Marching Band had the second highest score on the day with a Superior Rating. They were extremely impressive from start to finish.”
To ensure that she was ready for the bright lights, Sara Haga practiced for hours on her clarinet.
When asked if she was surprised by anything on Saturday, attendee Nicole Peoples mentioned the weather. “Despite the anticipated showers, there was no rain. That made my experience that more enjoyable,” she said.
For John Wright, being the band director of a program like Salem High School is both an honor and privilege. Because of the amount of work that is put in every year, John is never surprised when the Pride of Salem Marching Band performs well on the big stage.
“There are no words to describe how proud I am of these students. I have the best job in the world. I go to work every single day with a smile on my face,” he said. “The support from the school system and community is remarkable. Without that, we could not accomplish everything we do. There is no other place I would want to be the band director. These band competitions are our top fundraisers for the school year.”
Every regional show features a color guard and a percussion judge. Once the high school bands were done on Saturday, the Emory & Henry College Marching Band put on an exhibition performance.
while on the field.
Promoting participation in marching band events in addition to the art forms and philosophies of quality music education are the main goals of the Virginia Marching Band Cooperative.
Now that the regional band competition is over, John Wright and his students are preparing to head to Liberty University this Saturday for the Blue Ridge Championship.
“I would like to thank all of the participating bands, directors, Salem Band Boosters, band staff, all the volunteers and former Booster President Steve Belanger,” he said. “We know that wherever we go, the support that we have is unconditional.”
