Northwestern, Taylor, Western will compete in Bands of America
Times of discover News: The Northwest, Taylor and Western marching bands will compete in the Bands of America competition at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday. Howard County's bands were among the nearly 90 schools competing in the two-day event. Many of these schools are from Indiana and Ohio, while others are from Missouri, Oklahoma and Virginia.
Bands of America is a large-scale band competition. The Indianapolis event is a regional competition. Schools sign up to perform in Bands of America. Local band directors say it's a chance to perform somewhere before potentially attending the state finals. There's also an experience factor.
"Being in that place for the first time was an awesome experience," said Jeremy Snyder, director of the Northwestern Tiger Pride Band. "It's different when we know people are coming to pay money to meet you." It's a chance to get over any nervousness, as well as your first run in a big venue and hear what the band sounds like in a big arena.
This is the first time Northwestern has been able to participate in the event since 2019. The Bands of America event typically takes place during fall break.
The band will perform its "Anyone" show, which features music from Demi Lovato's song of the same name, Tom Odell's "Another Love" and Finneas O'Connell's "Break My Heart Again." The show is about heartbreak, although the message is better.
"The real theme of our show is not heartbreak, but believing in yourself when no one else does," Snyder said. "That's really a message that kids can really connect with right now."
Like other band competitions, Bands of America has judges who give schools feedback on their performances. This is a big draw for band directors. "Bands of America has a reputation for having the best judges in the county," Snyder said.
Stephen Garber, director of the Western Panther Band and Guard, hopes to hear that from the judges. Western's show, "Somebody That I Used to Know," includes songs by Gotti, with mirrors as props.
Goty's songs convey the message well, but the marching band doesn't have lyrics. It depends on the performers, the music and the movements. "That's one of the things we're really looking for, is whether the judges understand our story," Garber said.
The top 14 schools will compete again on Saturday. The winning schools in their category also were invited back for exhibition performances. Western won its regional Bands of America category last year.
The Taylor Marching Titans' final performance will begin at 9:45 p.m. on Friday. The band follows larger schools from Brownsburg and Carmel.
"The seats are full," Taylor Band Director Max Johnson said. "It's really going to be a great experience for us." For Johnson, Bands of America is an opportunity to give students an experience they may never get again. "They're looking forward to it," he said. "It was a great experience playing in an indoor facility where the Colts play."
Taylor's album, "Under the Same Moon," includes songs by Beethoven, Bruno Mars and Coldplay. The Titans will get some hometown support when they take the field Friday night. Northwestern was also on hand to cheer Taylor on after his work.
