CHESTERTON | High school marching bands from around the state competed in the Indiana State School Music Association on Saturday.
The event was held in four locations around the state, including Chesterton High School where an artificial-turf field was well-suited for the weather.
“It’s going to be a wet show tonight!” said greeters at the entrance as the rain came down and umbrellas went up. But that didn’t stop parents, like Lori Montalbano, of Munster, from coming out to cheer on their kids.
“She’s a percussionist and hopes to be a professional musician one day,” Montalbano said of her daughter, Annie Phelps. “Each of these events helps build her skills so she can realize her dream.”
Munster High School’s marching band performed Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebees” with a Latin twist, as color guard members twirled and ran with flags stripped yellow and black. Some also displayed pink daisies and sunflowers, a contrast to the weather.
“These kids put in so much time and effort. It’s like they’re a family,” said Sharon Sellberg whose daughter Megan is Munster’s drum major and performed a flute solo from atop a white lattice footbridge to complement the spring garden theme.
As the Lowell Marching Red Devils took the field, the black plumes on their hats gently waved in the wind, for a performance titled “The Light from Within,” which included pieces from composers Eric Ewazen and Dave Nelson.
Band members wore uniforms of black and red that evoked a futuristic feel and color guard members floated across the field in goddess dresses with bands of gold.
Rhonda and Carl Schultz, of Lowell, along with grandparents, cousins, aunt, and sister, came to support Delilah Schultz, a member of the color guard.
“You get to see the camaraderie of the band people. They all gel together and get into it. It’s like a sporting competition because they have the chance to compete with other schools here,” said Carl Schultz.
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