Earning a gold rating at prelims, the Warsaw Community High School Tigers Pride Marching Band qualified to perform at the Indiana State School Music Association Scholastic Class finals.
The statewide event was held on Saturday at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis. Thirty-four high school bands participated in the Scholastic Class finals. Scholastic Class A and Class B are determined by both enrollment and band size.
The WCHS 60-piece marching band began preparing for this state final performance 14 weeks ago in late July which was made of teaching marching basics to the freshman class and learning the music that makes up the Haka Peruperu program. The students were taught fundamentals of marching, playing and working as a unit and running drill sets to maintain equal spacing from set to set.
Due to inclement weather, the competition was forced inside and the marching bands performed in the gymnasium of Lawrence Central High School, rather than on their football field. All 34 bands performed without props, with limited movement due to space constraints.
This performance concluded the marching band season. Student musicians will now begin preparing for upcoming concerts: Performing Arts Gala on Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the PAC - includes dance choir, band orchestra and theatre, and Band Holiday Concert on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at the PAC.
Music Boosters will begin raising funds to replace the decade-old uniforms with hopes to purchase two 24-foot trailers needed to transport large instruments, uniforms and set props for competitions. To help support the band monetarily, call fundraising chair Paige Hubner at 574-453-2113.
Follow the progress on Instagram @WarsawBands, on Facebook @Warsaw Community High School Bands or online www.warsawbandboosters.org.
This season the marching band was lead by band director Mark Ziegler and assistant band director Kyle Travis, with assistance from Joe Peloza, Brandon Bussard, Reaghan Fletcher, Brad Nethercutt, Anna Marie Kelly and guard instructor Kelsie Hopkins.
