Band Competition

Band+Competition

“It was a great experience that really helps the marching band to grow,” said Tom Edwards and marching band drum major on his experience of the annual marching band competition last week.  On September 19 the Benedictine College held the Naperville Central High School Marching Classic. The purpose of this event was to bring together different high school bands to compete using their halftime show performances, giving each band a chance to see each other.  This event was categorized into three different size ranges; so as the day went on, the bands got bigger.

A mix of twenty public and private schools came together for this event. The Benet Marching Band consists of ninety nine members, along with seven color guard members. This is the third year Benet has competed for this event. For their performance, they played their “Songs of the People” halftime show, including patriotic music such as Lil’ Liza Jane and Turkey in the Straw. A color guard member stated that it was hard to say who their hardest competitor was because the style of each band varied greatly.

The atmosphere was very stressful for the band in the beginning, for they wanted to look and perform their best. Once the performance was complete, everyone was much more relaxed and had fun watching the others perform. Rich Alifantis said, “The stadium was packed with people – literally standing room only. But, when each band played it was dead quiet. There is a very serious and respectful nature to the competition. During a band’s performance, no one is allowed to enter the seating area and cell phone use is prohibited.”
Many parents took part in this event, driving equipment and supporting the group. One of the many helpers was Mr. Paul Chavez, the father of a drum line member, who has worked tirelessly to help the percussion section, and gives all of the members a sense of pride and dedication. In the end, Benet placed fifth in their class, just barely behind Argo Community High School. It was a great learning experience for them, and everyone tried their hardest, while having a great time doing it. Tess Bannon, a color guard member, shared that the best moment was the final song of their set. She felt that everyone was working their hardest, and it was very fulfilling when they finished.

When Mr. Alifantis was asked which moment he most proud of he responded, “I can’t choose one – the best moments were: experiencing the Marching Redwings performing to the peak of their ability; the spine-tingling trumpet solo; the “tasty” taps from the performance of the drumline; the color guard nailing their tosses; and finishing 4.75 points behind the next highest band.”

In addition to the main competition, there was a Marching Percussion Standstill. In this event, the percussion section is stripped of the band and competes alone. Since Benet has a large percussion group, the sound was just as big. After marching band season ends, the group will go into concert season. There are many wonderful events coming up featuring the brilliant Benet Marching Band which Redwings can look forward to.