The Marching Knights of Propsect High School in Mt Prospect, Illinois, celebrated the 25th year of their home marching band festival and competition Saturday, Hubert Piskorz reports in Prospector Now, the student newspaper.
Prospect Marching Knights (Chris Barnum/school paper)The annual “Knight of Champions” brought 14 marching bands to the school on a single afternoon to perform their field shows for judges who record feedback and for several hundred fans who thoroughly enjoy the marching arts. Illinois Marching Online lists about three dozen school-based festivals in Illinois this fall.
“It is both a chance for us to put on a great event for these other bands and a great chance for our own band to put on a great performance as well as to look forward to future competitions,” the paper quoted Chris Barnum, the band director at the northwest suburban school, as saying.
Elk Grove HS band on the way to the festival (school via Twitter)Although football games bring a crowd, he noted, marching band competitions bring a group of fans who are there for the bands.
“It’s been a couple weeks since we had a competition,” he was quoted as saying. “We’ve had our football game performances and it’s been great to get in front of a crowd, but it’s always a little bit different when there’s a marching band crowd because it is specifically what they want to see.”
Proceeds from ticket sales go to support the music and fine arts program at the high school, and supporting the show requires several parent and student volunteers.
“It is a huge event because we are holding our very own competition and having company is always a big deal,” Prospector Now quoted one band member as saying. “Sharing and introducing our school with others gives others a sense of how wonderful our school spirit and environment really is. … [The home festival] benefits Prospect’s marching band by encouraging creativity, socialization, and building friendships with others (from Prospect or not), and it builds respect throughout our many diverse communities.”
