J.M. Robinson High School of Cabarrus County was the winner of the Catawba Pride Marching Band Classic cup at the competition held at Catawba College on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Shuford Stadium. The event drew high school marching bands from surrounding counties and included an exhibition from the Catawba Pride Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Steve Etters, associate professor of music at Catawba.
Cox Mill High School, also from Cabarrus County, was second in the overall competition. Other results from finals competition for the day included Independence High School of Charlotte, third place; East Rowan High School of Rowan County, fourth place; North Rowan High School of Rowan County, fifth place; and North Stanly High School of Stanly County, sixth place.
Again this year, the Catawba Pride Marching Band Classic provided a “review” room that allowed each band to sit in a climate-controlled and comfortable viewing room directly after performing their field show. Band members and their leadership watched video of their performance on a large video screen and received immediate feedback from their directors, staff and student leaders, as well as from Etters, director of bands at Catawba.
As in prior years, students who are members of one of the competing bands had an opportunity to enter a Catawba Pride Scholarship contest. The contest offered 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 annually 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 are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours throughout their studies at Catawba. Winners were announced Saturday during the awards ceremony and include:
First prize — $2,500 annually: Brian Miller, Cox Mill High School, oboe/flute/clarinet/all saxophones;
Second prize – $2,000 annually: Jacob Tobin, East Rowan High School, trumpet;
Third prize — $1,750 annually: Majel Errante-Wolfe, North Rowan High School, all saxophones/piano; Kymee Mehney, North Stanly High School, bassoon/baritone saxophone;
Fourth Prize — $1,500 annually: Andrew Morgan, North Stanly High School, all saxophones; Mitchell Baker, J.M. Robinson, trumpet.
Ten students from three different high schools received scholarships of $1,250 each. They were: Melissa Bint, Chelsea Barber, Shannon Sundy, Katlyn Morris and Zach Zaleski from North Stanly High School; Victoria Layton and Hannah Petrucick from J.M. Robinson High School; and Alex Billingsly, Jayland Sanders and Jerome Tillman from North Rowan High School.