After a long summer of work, The Band of Marauders finally kicked off their season on September 7th at Decatur Central. The band has already performed their 2019 program “Wheel’d” during half-time at home football games. For the first time at Decatur they were finally able to debut their show to a panel of judges. 

The Band of Marauders competes in Open Class B, and in Scholastic A for ISSMA contests. The class a marching band competes in depends on the size of the school population and their band size. Mt. Vernon is a middle-sized school, so they perform alongside other same sized schools and bands. 

The Open Class B turnout at the competition was small. Only one other band competed in the same category. There was not much competition for a spot in the top 3. MVHS placed second.

“The competition was fun,” said Daniel Woods, 11. “We have been working really hard, and definitely started the season on the right foot.” 

Despite their competition season finally in full swing, the band still practices to perfect every detail of the show.

“I am very proud of the hard work the Band of Marauders has put in since June,” said Ms. Nason, the director of bands. “Our work really paid off with a great first performance of Wheel’d. The students’ performance was well received by the audience and judges.”

The theme of the show is different than the last two programs. There is no definite storyline as the show is a literal musical depiction of wheels. It’s something new for the Band of Marauders, and whether or not they will make it to finals cannot be determined at this point. 

They have a long road in front of them, and are competing weekly until finals which take place at the beginning of November. To see them in action next, catch them at Lawrence Central on Saturday, September 21st at Greenwood High School.