On Oct. 16, the Independence Marching Band performed at JMU against 41 other bands at the JMU Parade of Champions. They finished 2nd for their class and were the highest scoring LCPS group in 5A. They also took home the fan favorite award for their “Just One More Game” performance.

Band competitions usually follow a warm up, performance, change, and then an award ceremony. Annabelle Melus, 12, explained “It was a chaotic day with going around the campus to do each part of the competition. The stadium was huge and the crowd vibe was great.”

KK Shukert, 12, the drum major for the Marching Band, explained “We had our best performance of the year. The audience was super receptive and engaged… it was exciting to play at such an important event.”

Melus elaborated on the season achievements stating, “I think as a 3rd year program and with this being our second competitive season, we are very ahead and achieving high.” The Independence Marching Band has been placing and competing against the best bands in the state during their Aug 9-Oct 29 season.

Some of the other difficulties that the Marching Band has faced this year, like sports, was working around band camp and having a large group. “We doubled in size this year and had to deal with constant scheduling issues,” Melus stated.

“In general, we just want people to know how much work actually goes into marching band and that we would love it if people came to support us even if it was a football game,” Melus expressed.

“I’m sad the season is ending so soon, it feels like we just started learning the music a week ago and now we have our last competition this Saturday. I’m surprised at our level of competitiveness and establishment considering this is our second competitive year,” Shukert added. 

The Marching Band is currently preparing for their final district competition and the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA) assessment. They compete in their final competition on Oct. 23.