Students compete for Bands of America Super Regionals at Lucas Oil Stadium
INDIANPOLIS (WISH) — High schoolers from nine different states with a total of 84 bands represented their schools on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium for the Super Regional Bands of America Marching Band Championship. They’re competing Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22 in preliminaries and finals for the chance to make it to the grand nationals.
Marching bands from Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin and even Indiana are competing. A panel of nationally recognized music educators and marching band experts are serving as judges. The top 14 scoring bands Thursday will advance to the evening finals competition Saturday.
“My kids love coming to this event. Bands of America does such a great job organizing everything. From the world class facilities to the world class judges that we have, and the parents get a big kick out of it too,” Tim Cox, Decatur Central High School band director, said. “We’ve been practicing since the beginning of June. Band camp starts with auditions and drum majors mid May, and the kids start practicing in June. We’re very blessed being an Indianapolis school. We get a lot of support from our communities, a lot of support from our administrators, and we have the best band parents in the world.”
Indiana schools that are competing are: Snider, Lafayette Jefferson, Greenfield Central, Scottsburg, Homestead, Decatur Central, Lewis Cass, Ben Davis, Hamilton Southeastern, Edgewood, Warsaw Community, William Henry Harrison, Jasper, Westfield, Greenwood Community, Noblesville, Warren Central, Taylor, Owen Valley, Beech Grove, Forest Park Jr./Sr., Norwell, Castle, Goshen, Columbia City, Galesburg, Terre Haute South Vigo, Monrovia, Franklin Central, Brownsburg, Southport, Franklin Community, Lawrence Township, Avon, Center Grove, Carmel, Western, Pendleton Heights, Plainfield, Fishers, and Lake Central high schools.
The Bands of America Indianapolis Super Regional Championship is one of 26 Bands of America marching band championships across the country this fall. The even will return to Lucas Oil Stadium Nov. 10-12 for the Grand National Championships. 95 high school bands from 20 states will be competing in Grand Nationals, which will also include exhibition performances by the Ohio University Marching 110, the University of North Alabama Marching Pride of North Alabama, and the Western Carolina University Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.
Music for All will kick off the Grand National Championships event on Wednesday night with a session from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) music students and teachers. Indianapolis band, orchestra, and choir students from IPS will perform together in special exhibition at the Indianapolis Public Schools Music Showcase during the Grand National Championships Prelims.