SHS Band competes at Mustang Invitational; hosts 8th Grade Night

MUSTANG, Okla. – The Stillwater High School Pioneer Marching Band competed in their second contest of the season this past Saturday, when they took the field at the Mustang Marching Invitational.

In the afternoon’s preliminary competition, when bands compete against each other based on Bands of America classifications, the Pioneer Marching Band took home third place in Class AA, and qualified for Finals, where the top 12 bands compete regardless of classification.

 

In finals performance, their show, entitled, “Bach in the Saddle,” earned an 8^th place overall finish. The band was able to improve on their afternoon performance, and placed higher overall in Finals than the two Class AA bands that had outscored SHS in the afternoon competition.

 

“After preliminary results were announced, I told our students that our overall placement and score was not as important to me as them improving from one performance to the next,” said Stillwater Public Schools Director of Bands Kevin Zamborsky. “I am very proud of the way they responded and the performance they gave in Finals.”

 

SHS also learned they would be the first band to perform in Finals.

 

“We were one of the later bands to play in preliminaries, and then to quickly turn around and play first in Finals presents a lot of logistical challenges for our staff, parent volunteers, and students when factoring rehearsal time and providing dinner,” Zamborsky added. “But, playing first allowed our students to set the tone for the evening, and I think the experience of this weekend’s contest will be a benefit to our students as we continue with marching season.”

 

The night before competing at Mustang, the band hosted 8^th Grade Night at the Stillwater Pioneer Football game against US Grant. The evening provides Stillwater Junior High 8^th grade students the experience of being in high school marching band and the traditions of “Friday night lights.”

 

This years SJHS 8^th Grade Band is one of the largest in recent memory, featuring 87 students. The band has grown so large that the program now has two 8^th grade concert bands that will perform this winter and spring.  Zamborsky hopes many of them will continue with band as they enter high school.

 

“The growth in our program has been incredible, and 8^th Grade Night is a great opportunity for our junior high students to not only get a taste of what being in high school band is like, but also see you can be in high school band and also participate in pom, play on the football team, or serve on the athletic training staff like many of our students did Friday night,” Zamborsky added.

The Pioneer Marching Band continues with contest season this Saturday when they perform at the 42^nd annual Renegade Review, a regional marching competition hosted by Union High School in Tulsa that features high school bands from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas.  SHS will take the field at 3:00 pm in preliminary performance. If the Pioneer Marching Band qualifies for Finals, performance times will be posted on the band’s social media sites.

The Pioneer Marching Band is a regular finalist in state and regional marching competitions. Stillwater is the reigning bronze medalist at the Oklahoma Bandmasters Associations state championship and the Class 6A2 State Academic Champion. The band is under the direction of Kevin Zamborsky, Sean Gartner, Tricia Bailey-Bovenschen, Megan Perkins, Katie Genevro and color guard director Darin Williams. Learn more about the Stillwater Public School Band Program at stillwaterbands.org.