Symphony in motion: 13 high schools compete at DHS Marching Band Championship

DeKALB – On Saturday, Michael Thompson, a junior at Sycamore High School, stood in his uniform and helmet, waiting in line with his team in the drizzling rain to run out onto the football field at DeKalb High School.

But Thompson’s not a member of the football team, he’s in the drumline of SHS’s Marching Spartans. Instead of a football uniform and helmet, Thompson wore a button-down gold and black uniform and round black helmet. A bass drum was strapped to his chest.

Thompson described the relationship he has with fellow members of the marching band as “closer than that of a football team.”

“We’re together all year round, not just during a sports season,” Thompson said. “We really are a tight-knit group, like a family.”

The Marching Spartans were one of 13 northern Illinois high school marching bands that competed during the second annual DHS Marching Band Championship. The competition also featured a performance by DeKalb's Marching Barbs.

The 13 competing high schools performed a field show to receive adjudication and feedback from industry professionals.

Marybeth Kurnat, music educator with the DeKalb school district, was the competition's music individual judge.

"I'm judging based on tone quality, musicianship and technical accuracy," Kurnat said. "Every kid out there has their dot on the field. It's an entirely different show if you're missing just one person or hit one wrong note. If you make 10 mistakes on a test, you might still get an A. It's not that way when it comes to [judging] marching bands."

The bands competed in four classes based upon a combination of school and band size. There were awards for class placement and captions: best color guard, best percussion and top three in class.

DeKalb County marching bands that won awards include Sandwich's Renegade Regiment for best percussion and first place in Class 1A; Sycamore's Marching Spartans won second place in Class 3A.

The competition ended with a performance by DeKalb’s Marching Barbs. As the host team, the Barbs did not participate in the competition.

Steven Lundin, DHS Band Director, described the competition as a way to give the bands "an experience that is unique and educational."

"Unlike a football game, the competition gives the bands an audience that's there just for them, to hear and see them perform," Lundin said. "It's a positive performance opportunity for the students and a way to get exposure and awards for the bands."

Ken Goodman, director of Sycamore’s Marching Spartans, said competing in a marching band competition is a great opportunity.

“It’s the first contest of its kind for a lot of the students,” Goodman said. “It also spotlights them, their music and hard work. An entire crowd is here to listen to them and their performance, not to attend a football game.”

Junior Kailey Tischler, a drum major for Genoa-Kingston High School’s Marching Band, said that a marching band competition is “completely different from a football game.”

“Everyone cheers each other on and supports each other,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re competing, we cheer and clap for every team.”

Senior Morgan Siers, a drum major for G-K, said that joining marching band “was the best decision she made in high school.”

“When you walk in the doors of high school as a freshman, it can be scary,” Siers said. “Marching band is more than a team, we’re a family, people you can rely on, my best friends.”

Tom Rucker, director of G-K's Marching Band, said that what sets marching bands apart from sports teams is that no student “has their name on the back of their uniform, yet the band moves, sounds and competes as a whole.”

“Being in a marching band teaches you accountability, self-assessment, efficiency of time, dependability and leadership skills, all while you’re striving for perfection,” he said. “There’s also athleticism because you’re moving around in formation, all while playing an instrument. Our main goal is always to sound like a symphony while moving, which is no easy feat.”

Below is a list of winning schools:

Class 1A

First – Sandwich Renegade Regiment

Second – Oregon High School Marching Hawks

Third – Richmond Burton Rocket Marching Band

Best Color Guard – Richmond Burton Rocket Marching Band

Best Percussion – Sandwich Renegade Regiment

Class 2A

First – Grant Community Marching Bulldogs

Second – Niles West Marching Band

Third – N/A

Best Color Guard – Grant Community Marching Bulldogs

Best Percussion – Niles West Marching Band

Class 3A

First – Kaneland Marching Knights

Second – Sycamore Marching Spartans

Third – Rochelle “Hub” Marching Band

Best Color Guard – Rochelle “Hub” Marching Band

Best Percussion – Kaneland Marching Knights

Class 4A

First – Plainfield South Marching Cougars

Second – Oswego East High School

Third – Plainfield East Marching Bengals

Best Color Guard – Plainfield East Marching Bengals

Best Percussion – Plainfield East Marching Bengals