Band Members: Look at the new schedule and look up our competitors on youtube. These two bands are incredible! We are too but realize, we are the new kid on the block and need to make a great impression this week. If you watch these bands from last year's championship you WILL practice! So do it!
Everyone: This week we are competing in the US Bands in Class 5 Open. This is a super competitive class. These bands are among the best on the east coast. I have chosen to be in this class because we are on the bubble, between open and A. By being in open our season is extended only one week from our usual ending weekend. If we are in 5A our championships would be in Scranton PA on November 9th. As you now know, by going into 5open we are ending at Met Life Stadium on November 2nd. I think this is a better end of the season for us but it does have challenges. We are in a class with powerhouse bands. Our goal is to be the best we can be and to be competitive.
This is from earlier in the year:
It is time for a change. After much thought and reflection, it is time to move from the Field Band Conference and begin to compete in the US Bands conference. I have wanted to do this for some time; my roots are in this conference which used to be called CMBC then YEA. I was trained in their clinics in the early 90s and my philosophy of Marching Band is very much in line with the US Bands. Due to “Roslyn’s tradition” of going to the Dome, we stayed in that conference. I wanted to respect our culture and traditions. Now, as we have grown as a band in size and quality, I believe that the best thing for our band is to try this new venue. In addition, given the academic demands that we have in your lives here at Roslyn, I am making changes which will have less impact on our school time and hitting those deadlines for early applications to colleges for the Seniors. Moving to US Bands will be great for our program. It is the largest growing and most exciting Marching Band Conference in the country.
US Bands, what they are
The US Bands is a conference of over 700 bands which runs 150 shows in 25 states. Of those 150 shows, 50 are regional or national competitions and 100 are local competitions.
Bands are in classes by band size, not school size, which is a system which rewards bands based on the number of people that they have in the group. I believe this would definitely work in our favor since bands in the higher classes receive higher points for the most part. Below is the size breakdown for how your band is placed into classes. Group I: 1-40 members, Group II: 41-55 members, Group III: 56-75 members, Group IV: 76-100 members, Group V: 100-135 members, Group VI: 136+ members. Then they then put each band into “A” class or “Open” class. We would be in division 5 or 6 depending upon how big our band is next year and start out in the A class. The judging is much different, and is based more on General Effect and Music, another thing that will help us. Their judging traditionally rewards the kind of shows that our band performs.
We are looking forward to a great season and remember "Aim High, Be Patient, and Be Ready for Anything."
We are looking forward to a great season and remember "Aim High, Be Patient, and Be Ready for Anything."
