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October 31, 2009

HEADS HELD HIGH

Four local marching bands end on high notes at state finals

By Justin Cripe

INDIANAPOLIS — Local bands put on quite a show Saturday at the ISSMA state band competitions at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Despite none of the bands being able to bring home the big trophy, Fairfield, Northridge and Concord had respectable finishes. Concord High School finished in fifth place in Class B, while Fairfield finished seventh in Class C and Northridge finished eighth in Class B.

Goshen placed ninth in the Class A level late Saturday night.

Northridge

The Marching Raiders produced what assistant band director Bryce Cone called “the best performance in the history of the school” on the biggest stage they have performed on.

“We were a little intimidated, but I think we used that in a positive way to perform,” said Cone. “We never let down our energy.”

The show was titled “Candemonium” and plays off the theme of candy. Recognizable songs from “Willy Wonka” featured prominently in the show.

“The music was really fun,” said senior bass clarinet player Kyle Diamond. “Our forms were amazing and the energy was really high.”

Northridge performed at this level last year, and experience played a key factor in preparing for Saturday’s show.

“This is the best rehearsing band anyone could ask for,” Cone said. “We never settled for just being good. We always worked toward being excellent.”

Concord

Concord placed fifth out of 10 bands at the Class B level Saturday, and director Gay Burton said that she was pleased with the band’s performance, though the placing was not necessarily the outcome they hoped for.

“They gave everything they had and I couldn’t ask for more than that,” Burton said.

Burton said she felt really good coming into Saturday’s performance based on how the band adjusted to some last minute tempo changes to the performances last week.

“It’s never too late to make changes,” Burton said. “If there is something we can do to make our show better we will.”

The show “Paris Sketches,” had a jazz-infused theme, focusing on the culture of Paris and using the Eiffel Tower as a visual.

“There was a lot of energy and emotion that has not usually been there,” said Cortney Sweat, a senior who plays the alto saxophone. “That’s important because jazz is all about emotion.”

Fairfield

The Falcon Marching Pride brought home seventh place in Class C, a position that pleased drum major Cassie Johnson.

“We are absolutely ecstatic with seventh,” the senior said.

Fairfield’s show, “I Am” used the song “Who Are You” by The Who with a concert piece titled “I Am.” The show featured some additional “bells and whistles” that asked band members to hone up on their singing and dancing skills.

“It’s a really demanding show,” Johnson said. “We took a big risk with this show and really pulled it off.”

Band director Mel Carpenter said that some last minute rehearsals at Carmel High School allowed for some last-minute fine tuning, which paid off in his eyes.

“We used that extra practice time to fix some things we needed to work on,” Carpenter said. The practice allowed for members to get acclimated to performing in a large venue.

“I told them not to be awed by the dome,” Carpenter said. “That it would soak up the sound but not to worry about it and just go out and have fun and that’s what they did.”

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