Marching Panthers Play Host to Nineteen Bands at Competition

Shahadah Tobias, Staff Writer

The 2018 Paint Branch Marching Panthers kicked off their competition season by hosting their first competition in the Paint Branch Stadium on October 13th.

The event, which included 19 other bands from all over the DMV, New York, and New Jersey, was an exciting event that included some very talented performers. The Paint Branch Marching Band, as is customary, was the final band to participate in the competition. Each band performed their selected show; ranging from 10-12 minutes and the adjudicated based on music, visual, and overall effect. The bands were divided into 5 groups, IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, and Open class.

Additionally, as hosts, their performance was an exhibition, which meant that they could not place in the event. However, they were still critiqued by the judges and received a score of 78.575 that would have put them at second place in their division.

PB Marching Band Director Mr. Gregory Casement was pumped for the event as the competition at PB marked his first time ever hosting an event of such size. “Students and staff successfully welcomed and guided representatives and performers from other schools,” said Mr. Casement. “The day was a success; all students and staff were great models not only for the marching band but for Paint branch High School and the community.”

One of the biggest pluses for such an event is that it not only brings awareness to the marching band program at PB and other music programs in Montgomery County, but allows the community to see the amount of effort and dedication it takes to put on a ten minute show. These complex shows transform a football field into something more than a place where a traditional American sport is played.

Components of music, drill, and choreography come together in harmony to help a story come to life.
“It was a lot fun to see other high schools in the area compete and I had a lot of fun performing in it and representing our school,” commented senior Drum Major Jayson Davis