Marching band showdown at TO High

If you’re really into high school marching bands, Saturday is the day you ascend to heaven.

Hundreds of area musicians hit the parade route Tuesday for the 67th Annual Mark Twain Marching Band Festival. Gates open at 10 a.m. He led a pep band past year and says he’s proud of the students who will march onto the field Friday night.

The following bands will perform in the Autumn Classic field show competition: Moorpark, Newbury Park, Simi Valley and Hart high school bands.

Although junior high bands are welcome at the competition, RJHS band director Jeff Kee said the younger students don’t always have the opportunity to attend.

The University of Central Arkansas Bear Marching Band will provide a marching band exhibition at 8:45 followed by the awards presentation at 9. At Rock Ridge, McLean also marched away with Best Music, Best Visual, Best Guard, Best Percussion, Best General Effect and a Superior Rating. “As a staff, we like to push ourselves as well by seeing what the best bands in 5A and 6A are doing and bringing it back to our program”, said Jones on their sixth place finish at Little Elm. Bands are judged by nationally recognized professional adjudicators.