The Indiana marching band competition season kicked off on September 6 with competitions from Evansville all the way up to Goshen. Bands across the state gathered in their respective sites to showcase the programs that they have been working on since early June.
Marching bands are a major part of Hoosier culture, especially at the high school level. This is especially evident in the fact that Indiana’s season starts in early September, whereas most other state’s seasons start in mid-October. For example, California’s season starts on October 11.
Indiana hosts nationally renowned marching bands like Avon, who won the national championship; Carmel, who got second place nationally last year; and Castle, a national finalist. Bands such as these carry Indiana’s legacy for marching band year after year.
It is hard to gauge who will make state this early on in the season, but many dedicated fans on forums like INbands.com try. Students who are members of these groups are advised not to take everything these forums say to heart because sometimes people on the forums can be quite mean. However, they have a moderate success rate when it comes to their predictions.
Many bands have gotten off on their best foots, as a handful of groups across the classes have broken 70 in their first few competitions. In previous years, bands usually get to that point around the halfway point. This season is unfolding at record highs, and fans of athletic bands across the state have expressed their excitement.
