37th Annual Marching Classic set for Saturday

“Our focus is to provide an educational and fun day for high school marching band students and to make this a  community event,” says Mary Williams, a member of the Waseca Marching Classic Committee. This year’s Classic is Saturday, Sept. 21.  Mary and her husband Jack Williams have been active with the planning and execution of the Marching Classic since the inaugural event 36 years ago.  Across the decades, the  Marching Classic  has evolved into what it is today. It is now, to the best of their knowledge, one of only two regional band competitions which features both a parade and a field competition. “We do what we can to give community members special opportunities,” says Mary.

Among those “opportunities,” she explains, are the $8 wristbands available from local businesses prior to the event. Buying one in advance saves area residents $2 on the admission fee for the field competition–a very popular event filled with showmanship, energy, and fun.

Another opportunity is for local businesses. Mary explains that, with the parade at noon and the field show at 5:30, perhaps as many as 3,000 adults have free time to spend in the community.  Businesses in the parade have a chance to entice some of those visitors into becoming customers.

The parade at noon will include bands from eight different school districts: Eagle Grove, Iowa; the Lakeville North Panthers (who are appearing in the event for the first time); the Lakeville South Cougars; the Luverne Cardinals; the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva “Pride of the Panthers” band; the Pipestone Marching Arrows; the “Spirit of Worthington” Trojan Marching Band from Worthington; and Waseca’s Marching Jays, who will be participating in the parade but not competing for any of the awards.

As they navigate their way through the day, members of each band will have the company of local “hosts,” area residents who act as guides and liaisons.

During the parade, bands will be observed and evaluated by qualified judges. Groups will assemble at Trowbridge Park at the end of the parade route. After the results are tabulated, winners will be announced and trophies presented in a wide range of categories including overall performance, horn line, drum major, drumline and color guard. Awards will be on three levels based on the size of the band and the school : A, AA, and AAA.

Along with the trophies and awards, those bands which registered by an August 15 deadline are eligible for a cash prize drawing. Eligible groups who register for either only the parade or only the field competition have a chance of receiving a $250 registration incentive prize. Those registered for both are eligible to win a $500 incentive. “Adding that drawing changed everything when it came to registration,” recalls Mary, mentioning that the $1,000 in prize money is provided by Katie Gonzales of State Farm Insurance.

“All participating bands go home with at least one award, if not more,” says Mary Williams.

Through the afternoon, bands will be scheduled for “clinics.”

“The hope is they can use the input of the judges to strengthen their performances for the rest of the season,” explains Jack Wiliams. The Marching Classic, he and Mary explain, is fairly early in the marching band competition season, so the clinics can be quite valuable. The “season,” Jack elaborates, begins at the start of the school year and culminates with the Sioux Falls competition in October.

The field competition begins at 5:30 p.m. Weather permitting, it takes place in the football stadium west of the junior/senior high school. If there is any uncertainty about the weather, the situation will be reviewed around 3 p.m.; a decision will be issued shortly afterward as to whether the competition can take place as intended or must be moved indoors.

Wind, rain and lightning sent the show indoors in 2023, but Jack and Mary are pleased to report things ran smoothly.

“One director told us we had taken something that seemed bad and made it good,” remembers Mary. She mentions that, with bands stationed in hallways outside the gym, band students reported last year they enjoyed the opportunities to mingle with musicians from other schools.

Whether indoors or out, seating for the field competition begins about 3:30 Saturday afternoon with the introduction of honored guests at 5:30,  and the first routine performed about 5:45. This year’s field show will include 12 bands.

“The field shows are truly exciting to watch,” says Jack, explaining one of his major jobs is to keep the sequence of events moving as smoothly and quickly as possible so the 9 p.m. award ceremony can take place on schedule.

“We also want to keep the mood light,” he adds, mentioning that he likes to incorporate spontaneous moments of humor wherever he can.

Another, personal goal for him, he says, is to “introduce each group as if they were the home band.”

After all the awards and winners are announced, the Classic closes with a bang–fireworks, that is. Band members seat themselves on the football field, since the bleachers are full of spectators, to watch the show. 

“It’s a chance for them to mingle,” mentions Mary. “They can sit together, talk, and learn from each others’ experiences.” The fireworks display typically lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.

The Marching Classic uses part of its proceeds to provide scholarships to band students. Mary says that, during the interviews, seniors are asked about their experience at the Marching Classic.

“The fireworks are almost always one of the top favorites,” she says.

Through the 36 different Marching Classics Mary has been involved with, she says they have always met her personal standard of being “family entertainment at its best!”

“We committee members always have in mind what we can do to make the event better for the students, the directors, the visitors, and the community,” says Mary. “We’re always reviewing, always evaluating, always considering ways we can improve.

“Still, we think we’ve got a good product here that benefits everyone involved.

“We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy as many of the events as they can.”

The 12 groups in this year’s field competition include two bands taking part in the Classic for the first time. Routines will be from Blaine Marching Bengals; Coon Rapids Marching Cardinals; Eden Prairie Eagle Marching Band; Lakeville South Marching Cougars; Luverne Cardinal Marching Band; Mankato 77 Lancers Marching Band (first time); Okoboji Pioneer Pride Marching Band from Milford, Iowa (first time); Spirit Lake “The Force” from Spirit Lake, Iowa; 

Spirit of Madison Marching Band, Madison, SD; Pipestone Area Marching Arrows, Pipestone; 

Rochester Lourdes High School Marching Band, Rochester; and the Waseca Marching Jays, (Exhibition only).