The popular Mustang Classic Marching Band Competition is a fall tradition in Aiken County that will celebrate 20 years of excellence in marching band performances when the 2017 competition gets underway Saturday at Midland Valley High School starting at 1:00 p.m.
Gates open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students.
The competition will feature 19 marching bands from across South Carolina and include performances from last year’s overall champion, the “Jacket Regiment” marching band from North Augusta High School, and host Midland Valley High School’s “Pride of the Valley” marching band (in exhibition). Class A bands will start the competition, followed by Class AA, Class AAA and finally Class AAAA performances.
Midland Valley High School Band Director Kaitlyn Myers says her students are thrilled to be part of a now two-decade tradition in marching band excellence.
“As a community this is something we are very proud of,” Myers stated. “Over the years there have been a lot of marching band competitions that have come and gone so for our event to last for 20 consecutive years and multiple band directors really says a lot about or community and our school, much more so than any individual person. It’s a really big milestone.”
Each year one of the biggest decisions each band director will make is choosing the theme of their marching band competition show, and the supporting music. This year, Midland Valley’s show will examine how the world and individuals respond to tragedy in “The Warrior’s Reply.”
“It’s really a show about grit and overcoming obstacles,” Myers stated. “It will be very intense and very energetic and there is a lot of drive and passion in our show and I think that will be very exciting for our community and our fans. Our students have loved it, and have taken ownership of this program.”
North Augusta High School Band Director Chuck Deen, whose band took home top overall honors at last year’s event, has attended 19 of the 20 Mustang Classic marching band competitions.
“It’s really great that we have an event like this in our community that has lasted for so many years when many others have gone away,” Deen commented. “The folks at Midland Valley have sustained this show and it’s really great for all of us.”
Deen says this year’s “Jacket Regiment” marching band could be his best group ever.
“This is the strongest band I’ve ever had, I believe,” Deen stated. “The work ethic these kids have displayed, and the culture surrounding our program and desire for where they want to be is really strong.”
After wowing the crowd (and the judges) during last year’s competition with Knights and Ladies in “At the Castle Gates,” the “Jacket Regiment” is taking things in a different direction in 2017.
“Our show this year is called “IMAGINARIUM” and it is set under the sea,” Deen commented. “The field will be set up like a big coral reef. We will have water-rippling effects in the visual elements and in the music and the color guard has a very interesting, contemporary fish-type look. It is really going to be a beautiful show.”
“One of the coolest things about it is that we brought on a sound engineer and we will have an electronic soundtrack that will actually go along with the show that gives us some really cool effects. This is brand new for us. Folks across the country are doing it and we felt like it was the right time for us to venture into that. It is still early, but is a good, challenging show that we feel has the opportunity to be very successful down the road.
Myers says the competition gives participating bands a first look at their shows in a competitive environment, and that directors like her will still tinker with details for many weeks to come.
“All of us are still in the process of adding new details and changing things and cleaning things up so it’s definitely not a finished product, but I think all of us just want a really strong showing for our first competitive performance,” Myers stated. “It’s such a race against the clock, but we are going to put on the best performance we can and hope it’s a great first step for our group.”
2017 MUSTANG CLASSIC BAND RESULTS (ACPSD)
Class AAAA - North Augusta HS (Second)
Class AAA - South Aiken HS (First), Aiken HS (third)
Class AA - Silver Bluff HS (Second)
Class A - Ridge Spring-Monetta HS (First)
2017 MUSTANG CLASSIC MARCHING BAND COMPETITION SCHEDULE
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2017 PR MUSTANG CLASSIC