The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA - Competition offers Valley bands<BR>chance to strut their stuff

Sun, Nov 22 2009

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Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemAngie Palermo of Mifflinburg Area High School-s color guard tosses a sabre during the Tournament of Bands competition in Mifflinburg Saturday.

Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemThe Shikellamy High School marching band-s color guard provides a flurry of flags at the Tournament of Bands Competition in Mifflinburg Saturday. 'We always try to challenge our students each year musically, physically,' Shikellamy band director Scott Carey says.

Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemChris Rote of the Milton Area High School marching band finishes a tune with a flourish during the band-s performance at the Tournament of Bands competition in Mifflinburg Saturday.

Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemMaria Greenaway of the Milton Area High School marching band-s color guard shows the flag during the band-s performance at the Tournament of Bands in Mifflinburg Saturday. 'I think they were ready to take that step,' Milton band director Brett Hosterman said of his squad, which only last year resumed competing after 20 years. 'They wanted to get better. They wanted to get themselves out there performing more.'

Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemMembers of the Mifflinburg Area High School marching band, as seen through the blue and gold trophies of the Tournament of Bands competition, prepare to start their routine. As hosts of the tournament, Mifflinburg was not competing for the hardware. 'It-s just a tradition,' Mifflinburg band director Matt Wagner said of the schools- 40-year run of competing. 'I know our students enjoy competing. We-ve always competed.

Craig Urey/For The Daily ItemThe musicians of the Shikellamy High School marching band try to hit their notes, hit their marks and play with enthusiasm at the Tournament of Bands competition in Mifflinburg Saturday.

Competition offers Valley bands
chance to strut their stuff

By Amanda Keister
The Daily Item

"I'm always proud of their achievements and what they do, considering how short a time we have to do this. They do a very good job at what they do," Shikellamy band director Scott Carey said after his band's performance at Mifflinburg.

"We always try to challenge our students each year musically, physically. The demand on them as far as what they have to do drill-wise, as well as the music that they have to play at the same time, forces them to become better musicians overall."

Throughout their performances, Tournament of Bands judges walked among them, yelling their observances into tape recorders.

"It's very intimidating having the judges right there," said senior saxophonist Chris Rote, 18, of Milton. "You can actually hear them talking into their recorders, but really, you have to keep concentrating on the music and everything you're doing and just kind of ignore what they're doing at the time."

Money raised at Mifflinburg's Tournament of Bands offsets the cost of the marching band program.

n E-mail comments to akeister@dailyitem.com.

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