By GARY J. GROMAN
a.k.a. The Ole Seagull
The Pride of Branson Marching Band competed in the first annual Ozark Mountain Marching Festival hosted by Reeds Spring High School on Oct. 11. Even as the band completed their last marching maneuver and exited the field as the last notes they played faded away over the darkening Ozark hills, those watching knew they had just seen something special. The rest was up to the judges.
As the scores of the divisional finals were announced it was obvious that the judges too thought the Pride of Branson Marching Band’s performance was something special. The band received an overall score of 83.8 to win their Division and won the only two peripheral awards given in their divisional final, best percussion and best color guard. In addition, Branson was the only band in the division to improve their overall score from the preliminaries held earlier in the day and won over two other excellent bands, the second place Parkview Viking Band and the third place Hillcrest Blue Wave Band by scores of 4.5 points and 8.2 points respectively.
In the preliminary competition earlier in the day, the Pride had taken first in its Class with a score of 80.9. That automatically qualified them for a spot in the finals later that evening. The band was also awarded two peripheral trophies for the best horn line and the best color guard.
In arriving at the overall score, the judges evaluated the individual areas of Music, General Effect, Marching and Maneuvering, Percussion, and the Color Guard. Based on that evaluation, scores are assigned in each of the areas down to one tenth of a point. That puts an extreme amount of pressure on each band member, one missed step out of thousands taken during the routine, one dropped rifle or flag by the color guard or a misplayed noted could mean the difference between winning and losing.
In an earlier interview Branson Band Director, John Kerley, Jr. said how proud he was of the kids and the effort they have made this year. He pointed out that this year’s routine, entitled “Games,” is challenging from both a music and marching and maneuvering perspective. He said the kids are having fun and he could sense the pride they felt in each other and what they were doing.
Kerley said that performances just don’t happen. They are the results of thousands of hours of individual and group practices. It involves a commitment to the band that lasts for months and covers 12 hour days of practice in the heat of summer to practices in the crisp cold weather of October with 5:00 a.m. wakeups for the 6:30 a.m. outside practices each morning, plus hours of individual practice just about year round to maintain their musical skills.
As the band was finishing its early morning practice on Oct. 16, Kerley reminded the 140 members of the band and color guard of what they had achieved at the Ozark Mountain Marching Festival. He challenged them to bring that same performance to each of their remaining competitions.
Drum Major Annie Treat said, “We have worked hard, put in a lot of effort, and have come a long way.” Treat pointed out that there is always room for improvement and that is something they strive to do in each practice and performance.
The Pride of Branson Marching Band has two competitions left, the Ozarko Marching Festival at Southern Missouri State on Oct. 18 and the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Oct. 25. In talking with Kerely it doesn’t take too much to see the pride he has in what the band accomplished or realize what he meant when he said it is their commitment, dedication and effort that adds the meaning to the words, “See the Pride, Feel the Pride, Be the Pride.”
Furnished Courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.https://bransoncourier.com/view_article.php
