Area high school marching bands will gather at Catawba College on Saturday, Oct. 5, for the eighth annual Catawba Pride Marching Band Classic. The public is invited to attend the marching band competition that begins at 4 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. in Catawba’s Shuford Stadium.
As in prior years, students who are members of one of the competing bands have an opportunity to enter a Catawba Pride Scholarship contest. The contest offers the students a chance at one of six annual scholarships if they apply and are accepted at Catawba and accepted as a member of the Catawba Pride, the college’s marching band.
The contest offers one top scholarship award of $2,500, one $2,000 scholarship award, two $1,750 scholarships awards; and two $1,500 scholarship awards. All of these auditioned scholarships are renewable for as long as the student recipient remains in good standing and is enrolled in 12 or more credit hours throughout their studies at Catawba. Winners will be announced Oct. 5 during the awards ceremony.
Any senior who participates with his or her high school band at the competition and who fills out an inquiry card at the Catawba College admissions table during the event will receive a free Catawba T-shirt.
The marching band competition is organized and run by the Catawba College Chapter 1002 of the National Association for Music Educators (NAFME) and sponsored in partnership with the Carolina’s Medical Center–NorthEast, as well as many other community sponsors and volunteers. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 6-12. Concessions, including pizza, burgers, soft drinks, bottled water, popcorn and other items will be on sale throughout the event. Programs containing information about each band will also be available.
Bands registered to compete include: East Rowan, North Rowan, Independence, West Forsyth, North Stanly, Myers Park, Cox Mill and J.M. Robinson (a band that has won the overall competition multiple times in previous years).
All high school bands will compete beginning at 4 p.m. with the awards presentation beginning at 8 p.m. Each band will have an opportunity to review a recording of its performance immediately following its time on the field. Additionally, the bands will receive recorded critiques by a panel of professional band educators.
The Catawba Pride Marching Band will present an exhibition field performance just prior to the Awards presentation.
Band directors may register a band to participate in the competition by printing the registration form at www.catawba.edu/prideclassicREG and returning it to Dr. Steve Etters, Catawba College Salisbury, NC 28144 by Sept. 27. For more details, contact Etters in the Catawba College department of music at 704-637-4476.