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Scholastic Marching A

St Martin HS

St Martin HS takes to the floor with their show about finding your comfort zone. The different types of comforts and moods are represented by the ensemble, for example when the voice over mentions how some like their comfort zone more laid back, the tone of the music takes a very slow, relaxed feel. During the next movement, the battery is joined on the floor by two marching trumpet members who’s duet flows seamlessly with the ballad played from the front ensemble.

Oak Grove HS

Oak Grove’s show “Wasteland” is full of high energy and doesn’t fail to earn the cheers of the crowd. The first movement in particular is energetic as the battery emerges onto the tarp that is their wasteland. While the tempo slows during the ballad, the energy is maintained in a beautiful marimba solo, with the rest of the battery eventually picking up the tempo and ending the show with gusto to their rendition of “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.

Ravenwood HS

Ravenwood starts their show with some intricate drill, marching around, and through one another with precision, all while playing some impressive beats. The show has an Eastern flair to it, with Chinese flutes being sampled by the synth player. The uniforms also reflect this motif, with members wearing dark red hoods and robes, similar to that of Buddhist monks. Gathered towards the back of the floor are props that seem to resemble the famed terra cotta soldiers of the Chinese Qin Dynasty. The battery also used the props to march around and through, further adding intricacy to the performance.  

Clinton HS

The battery begins in block formation in the upper corner of the floor, with lines of the block marching to the center of the tarp to put on what appears to be parachutes. Images of flying are evoked by the front’s rendition of  John Mayer’s “Free Fallin’” cover while the battery marches on a tarp printed with the images of clouds. As a voice over orders members of an elite jumper unit to jump from the plane, members can be seen laying on top of white wheeled boxes giving the illusion of them flying. The mood of the show changes as the front begins playing Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” taking on a cool, subdued tone before sky rocketing when the battery enters.

Vanderbilt Catholic HS

The set design of this ensemble is very impressive, with black and yellow being the two primary color themes. The battery, dressed in all black, is always playing aggressively and either chasing or being chased by three visual members dressed in bright yellow dresses. The combination of marimbas and synths help set the mood for the show, giving feelings of menace and danger to the audience. During a big reveal, the visual members enter the upper right all yellow corner of the tarp, each raising up a yellow ball causing the front to have their instrument bars light up yellow in time with their playing!

Warren Central HS

The groups’ tarp and props fit the shows shattered theme, with the tarp printed to look like shattered glass, and the props similarly resembling large broken pieces of glass. As the pit plays arpeggios up and down their boards, the battery ramps the energy up with a flurry of aggressive notes. The shattered motif can be further seen in the set-up of the front ensemble, with the boards all placed at sharp angles, looking broken instead of in a straight line. Towards the end of the show, the shard props, which were shades of grey and white, are moved to the back of the field, and open up to reveal a spectrum of bright happy colors. Similarly, the tone of the music shifts and becomes more uplifting once the props bright colors are revealed.

Southhaven HS

The show starts with dark overtones, as a lone members slams away on a floor tom. Eventually the front crawls on hands and knees to their boards to play while the battery puts on their drums and takes their first few tentative steps. Soon after the battery picks up speed and moves across the floor in a fluid follow-the-leader motion. Things really kick off to the next level when a member begins singing accompanied by the melodies of the front ensemble. That mixed with the aggressive notes from the battery brought the energy to the top of the stadium and earned lots of applause from the crowd.

E.D. White HS

A forest scene greets us with this show, with the background props resembling tall trees in a forest. The opening notes of the front evokes feelings of hope and possibilities as the snares and rest if the battery slowly join in. Throughout the show the mood stays uplifting as the battery moves around the “forest” floor. The use of the tree props to create a forest dynamic is unique and effective, and helps place the crowd in the scene with the ensemble.

Independent Marching A

Southwest Independent

The show center around the channel MTV starts with huge amounts of energy, with an announcer counting down to blastoff, which is how MTV began their broadcast days. The ensemble begins to play excerpts from Dire Straight’s “Money For Nothing” while circling the tarp, which shows the image of color bars from an analog television set. The front begins to play “Video Killed The Radio Star”, symbolizing how MTV changed the way we consumed music and media, all while the battery plays their heart out.

Elite A

The show opens on a creepy vibe, with a lullaby being played by the front and a voiceover reciting “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.” Suddenly the snare perform a fantastic feature that earns a big cheer from the crowd. The ensemble, dressed in all black, seems to resemble monsters or scary dreams for the visual marching member who is dressed as a small child in her night clothes. The battery chases her around the floor, perhaps in her nightmares, as the front begins playing the title theme form the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” Finally the visual member is able to fall asleep as the battery disappear from the floor, as they have disappeared from her dreams.

Winfield Independent

Windfield asks us to question what else could be outside of our Earthly home, what could be at the center of our universe? Placed around the floor are flat objects that glow in various colors, with marching members at times “orbiting” the objects as if they’re caught in the objects gravity. During the next movement, the snares and tenors take features where they stand on the objects, each at the center of their own universe. Following the space motif, there are many circular drill moves in this show, much like how objects caught in another’s gravity orbit around it in a circular motion.

Scholastic Concert World

Muscle Shoals HS

Muscle Shoals starts off their show about the seasons on a light and airy note; the high octave runs of the marimbas and xylophone resembling the sounds of spring. The movement is accentuated by a flute performer who give extra life to the spring section. As the show moves from spring to summer, a trumpet player begins to perform, further expanding the motif of wind instruments embodying the seasons. Fall begins as the keys begin playing with a colder quality and a saxophone takes the stage. Finally, the year comes to an end with winter and a solo from a baritone. A member begins playing concert chimes adding an extra icy layer to the performance. As winter ends and spring re-emerges, the motif of the seasons coming full cycle is embodied by the flute player once again taking a solo, ending the show on a light note.

Scholastic Marching Open

Pace HS

Pace HS starts their show with samples of Kanye West’s “Lost In the World” where West says “I’m lost in the world/I’m down on my line.” The props help with this motif with images of trees on the back drops and a plastic tree in the middle of the floor. As the battery plays with vigor around the tree prop. The mood take a jarring turn as the woods turn into the city and the backdrop props are turned to show sky scrapers and an asphalt road is open up across the tarp, As “Asphalt Cocktail” by John Mackey  is played by the front, stoplight props are brought out as nature is taken over my man. The discordant melodies of “Asphalt Cocktail” and the furious drill of the battery help embody the chaos of the city, compared the calmer feel of the early nature part of the show.

Central Lafourche HS

Set in a submarine, the ensemble holds nothing back as its show starts with klaxons blaring, a voiceover commanding the sub to dive, and the battery playing with intensity. With hints of “Mars” being played throughout, the front ensemble does an excellent job of creating a mood of danger and suspense as the submarine explores further into the depths. The battery takes this sense of danger even further by keeping the energy up with their aggressive playing.

Escambia HS

The show opens with a heartfelt voicemail voiceover of an adult making plans to fly in and surprise their mother on Mother’s Day. These warm and tender feelings are held throughout the show, with the front doing a beautiful job of evoking this mood during the first two movements. Towards the end of the show the audience discovers that the mother mentioned earlier is sick and being rushed to the hospital. As the news breaks the battery erupts in screams of agony and begins pouring out their emotions through their instruments. The set design of the show is impressive as well with the tarp resembling a rug, and with lamps and window panes placed around the floor, creating a warm, homey feeling.

Independent Marching Open

Infinity 2

Infinity 2 starts their show on an impressive set, with the tarp resembling a cracked frozen landscape, surrounded by props looking like icy mountains and frozen glaciers. The who set design gives off an icy, desolate vibe, and is accompanied by a strong wind sound from the synth. As the battery emerges and begins playing they are restricted to one side of the tarp, the side that has already been explored, before venturing into the unexplored territory in the next movement. The snare features keeps the audience in suspense as they watch a member carefully cross an icy bridge. As they explore the unknown the battery and front play with energy and joy and the battery marches across the entire tarp now free to explore at their leisure.

Elite Independent Percussion

Elite Independent begins with a rendition of “Another Brick In The Wall Pt 2” from Pink Floyd, and had audiences cheering with their impressive snare features. A notable highlight of the show is the unison moments between the snares and tenors who march together and play with one another with precision. The props towards the back of the tarp are turned at various times in the show and reveal various images, such as the constitution, and rocket missiles.

Scholastic Marching World

Petal HS

The floor is transformed into a calming water scene with the tarp resembling a lapping waterfront, complete with a large pier prop on the back half of the floor.  A show full of memories and reminiscing, Petal let the front ensemble shine in this show. The metals helped evoke warm feelings as the voice over remembers times with his father. During a section of stormy weather the tenors do an excellent job of conveying the turbulence that normally comes with ocean storms. An especially touching moment is when the voice remembers a time at the pier with his father as the battery spreads underneath a blue material, making it flow as if its living water. This moment is also accompanied by a member performing a solo on the French horn. Throughout the show, three large screens behind the pier prop show various images that help tell the story, ranging from sunset lit waves lapping on the shore, to turbulent crashing waves during a storm; a prop that adds an extra layer of depth to the performance.

Infinity

Infinity holds nothing back as their show starts with an explosive amount of energy. Marching members, along with visual members in stilts, and with hoops come flooding onto the floor out from the circus tent that is the background prop. The first movement end with a huge wow-moment in which a cymbal player juggles three cymbals with precision and ease. While the front performs a feature, the cymbal line takes another feature which includes them playing split parts and split triplets with expert timing. In a rare moment in WGI, the front ensemble takes center stage, pushing the marimbas onto the tarp to perform their feature, which is expertly choreographed with multiple players on each board. The energy continues with a brief dance number by members of the visual ensemble, and excellent features from each section. A huge reveal during the tenor feature shows them performing on stilts!! They eventually move forward on their stilts while still playing to be joined in by the rest of the ensemble.

Music City Mystique

MCM comes out of the gates with a unique twist to their show. Various members of the battery seem to have their instruments linked to the sound system, allowing them to be distorted and modulated in real time. The battery keeps energy in their feet as they move quickly across the tarp, creating complex drill formations. On the left  side of the floor are uniquely shaped props that light up when various members are around or interact with them. Throughout the show, MCM plays the high energy beats that fans have come to know and love, and those beats are given an extra layer with the addition of the prop modulation. The front puts their skill on display in this show, expertly handling the runs and chords necessary to create the soundscape that encompasses the show.