Bands give a symphony of sound, motion

Tarpon Springs beats gusty winds and a talented field of bands to defend its Seminole Spectacular title.

By JULIANNE WU

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 2, 2000

SEMINOLE -- It wasn't the Olympics, but the Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble came up golden in the 24th annual Seminole Sound Spectacular Saturday evening. It's the second year in a row Tarpon Springs won the top prize in the Gold division -- with bands of 70 members or more -- and was named the overall Grand Champion band of the competition. The award-winning band, one of 19 bands competing in the five-hour event at the Seminole High School football field, took home six trophies, including first place and for having the best woodwinds, percussion, drum major and auxiliary corps in its division, plus the Grand Champion award.

Other bands came from Pinellas County and from as far away as Santa Fe (near Gainesville), Lecanto and Orlando. The Seminole High School Warhawk Marching Band, which was host of the event, also performed, but did not compete. It was conducted by Daniel S. Wood IV, in his second year at the school.

When the competition began around 4:30 p.m., the sun was shining and the breezes were warm and friendly.

By the time the Tarpon Springs band performed shortly after 9 p.m., the sun had set and the winds had turned gusty. So gusty, in fact, that the flags of the twirlers were barely manageable as the band took the audience on an imaginative, musical trip through the 20th century.

Earlier, when the Northeast High School Viking Band of St. Petersburg performed in the Silver Division, band parent Pat Phaneuf of St. Petersburg found shelter by the fence just off the field. She was there to watch her daughter, Jackie, a junior at Northeast, perform. "It's a lot easier being on this side, watching," said Mrs. Phaneuf, who was on the color guard at her New Jersey high school. "I have too much other stuff to worry about, like giving the band members water and any first-aid needed."

One of the most unusual aspects of the evening came when the Northeast band's percussionists tapped out James Bond tunes on metal garbage cans and plastic buckets.

Other first-place trophies were awarded as follows: Largo High School in the bronze division (for bands with 45 or fewer wind, brass and percussion players), which also was recognized for the best woodwind and percussion sections, and to East Lake High School in the silver division (bands with 70 or fewer members), which also had the best woodwinds and best auxiliary corps, which included flag twirlers, majorettes and dancers.

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