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The Pride of Mid-America, Ball State University's marching band, is coming to Warsaw for a performance.
According to Warsaw Community High School band director Mickey Ratliff, the BSU band is traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich., for the Nov. 8 football game of Western Michigan University versus BSU.
On Nov. 7, the "Pride" will stop in Warsaw overnight and perform at the Warsaw football field at halftime if Warsaw hosts a sectional football game that night. If there is no game, the BSU band will perform in concert that night in the Tiger Den at the high school beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the concert in the Tiger Den is free. If the BSU band performs at the football game, the only cost is admission to the football game.
The band performs for all BSU home football games and travels to one away game every season. This year, that game is BSU versus Western Michigan University.
The "Pride" is the largest student organization at BSU every fall. This year, Ratliff said, the BSU band has more than 200 members.
The BSU band and the WCHS band - along with Lakeview and Edgewood middle schools - will perform the last two numbers of the concert together. The nearly 550 musicians will perform "America the Beautiful" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
The concert should last approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Three WCHS alumni are part of this year's "Pride." Rhianna Franklin, a drum major and 2000 WCHS graduate, will conduct the 550 musicians in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" as well as conduct the BSU band in some of their numbers. The other two WCHS alumni in BSU's band include 2003 graduate Jenna Hollinger on flute and 1999 graduate Luke Roetman on trumpet, according to Ratliff.
In addition, the BSU band plans to spend the night of Nov. 7 in the high school gyms and then leave for the WMU versus BSU game Saturday morning.
Ratliff said the band department is looking for any BSU alumni or other interested persons to help out by helping to purchase pizza for the BSU band members after the concert and breakfast for them the following morning. Anyone interested in helping should contact the music office at 267-5174.
"With the Ball State band and Marine band being here that Sunday (Nov. 9)," said Ratliff, "it will be a great weekend to hear some great music."
BSU's band has been a part of the success and tradition of the university for more than 50 years of the school's existence, according to information provided by BSU. The band was first called "The Pride of Mid-America" in 1958 by Earl Dunn, director of bands at that time.
Dr. Christian Zembower, assistant director of bands, has directed the "Pride" for the last six years. Dr. Joseph Scagnoli, director of bands, still is involved with the group, having directed the band himself for more than 15 years. Other staff include two graduate assistants, a graduate percussion assistant/arranger and a part-time auxiliary adviser.
