The Madill Wildcat marching band received an excellent rating (2) at the OSSAA regional marching contest in McAlester Wednesday (Oct. 23).
“ We were very competitive and had huge successes this marching season. I am very proud of what we have accomplished this year. Getting a Superior Rating is hard. We have not done that in Madill since 1995. I know that it will happen soon, we just got to keep working and improving day by day,” Madill band director Kendal Hasty said of the competition.
The band is preparing for senior night when all of the Madill band program students will be on the field for pre-game activities. That’s 350 members. The band will join with the Tecumseh band on Nov. 8 to salute the veterans in a special presentation.
Although marching contest season has concluded, the band takes no time off in the year. They will have honor band auditions, Veterans’ Day activities and the winter concert before Christmas break.
The second semester will usher in concert band events. Hasty said the hope is to make it to the state concert band contest. Madill’s band has not accomplished that since 2002.
Hasty provided this brief description regarding band contests:
The goal for many bands around the state is called a Sweepstakes Award. This is the band version of a State Championship in sports.
In order to earn a Sweepstakes Award, the band must do the following: 1) Earn a Superior (1) Rating at Regional Marching Contest. 2) Earn a Superior (1) at State Concert Contest and 3) Earn a Superior (1) at State Sight-Reading Contest.
Regional Marching: Students must perform their memorized music while demonstrating good marching technique and ability to impress three adjudicators based on one performance.
State Concert Concert Contest: Students perform their prepared pieces for three adjudicators at such a level that all three judges rate them a Superior Band. To even make state, they have to go through the District Level and also impress three judges there.
State Sight-Reading Contest: Immediately after State Concert, the band will enter a second room and perform a piece they've never seen before to demonstrate their ability to read music. They only have 8 minutes to go through the pitches, rhythms, dynamics, and other things the music requires. They are not allowed to play. They must impress 3 judges enough to earn a Superior Rating.
In band, we must impress 12 different judges on 4 separate instances in one performance that we are deserving of the title "Superior".
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