Joseph P. Grasso Marching Band Festival

Set For October 13 At Newtown High

By Tanjua Damon

Not only will the lights be shining at the Bruce Jenner Stadium Friday, October 13. So will the instruments of the eight marching bands that will be performing at the fifth annual Joseph P. Grasso Marching Band Festival at Newtown High School.

Marching Bands from Bethel, Danbury, Jonathan Law, Naugatuck, Norwalk, Port Chester, Trumbull, and Newtown will start performing at 6:30 pm in front of family, friends, and judges.

Newtown High School Band Director James Dumas expects the festival to be entertaining and exciting.

“Weather permitting, it’s going to be a good show,” Mr Dumas said. “Trumbull, Norwalk, and Danbury all have strong shows. Port Chester, Naugatuck, Bethel, and Jonathan Law are very good to see. I think this is the largest Friday night show we have ever hosted.”

The marching bands do not come just to perform for the audience, they come to be judged and see where they have improved or maybe where they need to make improvements. Marching bands compete throughout the fall season.

There will be seven judges, according to Mr Dumas. Five judges will sit on top of the press box at Jenner Stadium and two other judges will be on the field walking around looking at several different aspects of the band.

Marching bands are reviewed on their effectiveness and analysis, Mr Dumas said.

“The judges look at how much a band gets the crowd and how well they get their point across,” he said. “How well you perform and how well the ensemble performed what is written.”

The two judges who are on the field at the same time as the band can follow an individual band member to see how he or she is performing, Mr Dumas said. Judges choose at random which individual they may watch during a particular competition.

“It’s distracting early on in the season,” he said. “For a new student it might be distracting, but older students aren’t bothered.”

The Newtown High School Marching Band is the host for the festival. They will compete, but their score will not be included in the competition.

“We’re in exhibition,” Mr Dumas said. “We will get a score, but it won’t be announced or posted.”

The marching bands are separated by their size and can receive a score of up to 100, Mr Dumas said. Sixty percent of the score is based on the musical performance and 40 percent is judged on visual.

The community is invited to attend this year’s 5th Annual Joseph P. Grasso Marching Band Festival, Friday, October 13, 6:30 pm. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students.