Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
JANE MADDEN WELCHState high school marching bands woo judges with thematic and pop culture-based performances.
TARPON SPRINGS - The parking lot at Tarpon Springs High School overflowed with rental trucks and charter buses, uniformed marching band members and a vast array of musical instruments.
It was a Saturday afternoon, Oct. 9, and the start of the ninth annual Tarpon Springs Outdoor Music Festival.
Kevin Ford, director of bands at Tarpon Springs High, remembers the first competition the school hosted in 1996.
"We had eight bands competing," he said.
This year's event attracted 24 bands from across the state.
"Our primary goal is to give the bands a performance opportunity and bring in evaluators to make expert commentary to learn how to improve," Ford said.
Collette Ebach was one of more than 100 volunteers involved in the event. Her son, Justin, is a junior and a percussionist in the Tarpon Springs High band.
"My son has several friends in (the competing) bands," she said. "They love the opportunity to get together to see each other perform."
Another parent volunteer, Jim Griffin, was busy directing traffic in and out of the parking lot. He arrived at 11 a.m. and didn't expect to get home until midnight. His son, James, is a senior at Tarpon Springs High and plays percussion in the band.
As the host of the event, Tarpon Springs did not compete, but it did give an exhibition performance at the end of the program.
Pinellas Park High, with one of the smallest bands in the county, marched onto Sponger Field at 3:30 p.m. for the first performance of the day.
Band member Frank Wyszinski said it's an advantage and a disadvantage to go first.
"You set the tone for the day, but you're the first one in front of the judges," he said.
Pinellas Park's presentation included the songs All Star , Hallelujah and orchestral music from the movie Shrek and featured senior Wayne McEvilly as Shrek on the alto sax. The band had practiced the program since July.
"We're proud of our show," McEvilly said. "It's a crowd pleaser."
Trophies were awarded for first, second and third place in divisions determined by the size of the band. Trophies were also given for outstanding achievement in brass, woodwinds, percussion and auxiliary categories.
The bands put on thematic shows with titles such as Impulse (East Lake High School), Rock of the Decades (Auburndale Senior High School) and El Duelo (Countryside High School).
For Palm Harbor University High School's Pirates of the Caribbean show, drum major Ian Black "is very interesting. He looks just like Johnny Depp," said event volunteer Collette Ebach. "He's got the whole costume thing going."
The Santa Fe High band from Alachua took first place in the single-A division. Mary Ackley, mother of band members Tonia and Kendall, said the kids enjoy this competition, but renting two trucks and two charter buses for the trip to Tarpon Springs takes lots of planning, she said.
"We have to do a lot of fundraisers," she said.
Karen Whitley, woodwinds and drill instructor for Northside Christian High of St. Petersburg, said they were excited to be at the festival. The band has practiced its show, Swingin' to the Moon , since band camp began the last week in July.
Northside senior Peter DeBree said wearing the heavy uniforms and tall hats in the Florida heat can be a challenge, but you get used to it. The day before the competition they had a four-hour practice in the sun, he said.
"It's hot, but I don't think it's that bad," said DeBree, who plays the alto sax.
By the time Northside was ready to march onto the field, it had cooled down a bit.
"We are thanking God above that it's nice and cloudy with a breeze today," Whitley said. Northside went on to win second place in the single-A division.
The first place trophy in the double-A division went to East Lake High. Seminole High presented a show titled Experiment 33776 - An Adventure in Modern , and took first place in the triple-A division and won the grand champion trophy. The state championship competition will be held in Orlando next month.
The eight judges included Chris Allen, a professional French horn player and Hillsborough County music teacher.
"It really says a lot about our young people that they're out dedicating themselves to this kind of activity," he said. "It's a really great thing to see."