NHS Band Performs Well

At ‘Quest for the Best’

The Newtown Nighthawks Marching Band and Color Guard put on another fine display of talent at last Saturday’s Musical Arts Conference competition. Their performance of “Jazz – Kenton Style” earned the Nighthawks a third place finish with a score of 65.6, a seven point increase from the previous week.

Drum major Sheila O’Connor said, “We’re especially proud of the fact that we beat Trumbull. They have a very strong marching band program, so to beat them is a big accomplishment for Newtown.”

 Sixteen bands from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut competed before a capacity crowd hosted by Bethel High School, their sixth annual “Quest for the Best” competition. Arlington High School from LaGrangeville, N.Y., won the first place trophy with a score of 70.5.

Newtown took the field in competition a bit after 9 pm. A brief downpour earlier in the evening made for some slippery conditions and a slight delay in schedule, but failed to deter the band or the fans.

The Nighthawks will be competing this Saturday at Trumbull High School. “We’re continuing to adjust the program and make changes that will make the visual and audio elements more coordinated,” said Bob Findley, visual coordinator.

 “We’re aiming for a seven or eight point improvement this week,” added Sheila added.

For more information about NHS band competitions and directions to the Trumbull venue go to www.musicalartsconference.com.