CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The tenth annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational Championship will feature 45 high school bands from around the state on Saturday, Oct. 23, at the University of Charleston Stadium, Laidley Field. Barboursville Middle School and Milton Middle School will open the event at 8:55 a.m. with the National Anthem.
In 2017 the West Virginia State Legislature proclaimed this invitational “The Official State Marching Band Championship of West Virginia.”
“The West Virginia Marching Band Invitational serves as a tremendous opportunity for us to celebrate our wonderful marching band students’ hard work and dedication,” said Governor Jim Justice. “It’s always a pleasure to witness their talents and joy for music and the arts.”
“This invitational gives us an opportunity to showcase the musical talents of West Virginia students,” West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Curator Randall Reid-Smith said. “For the last several years, the department has partnered with Save The Music Foundation and generous donors to provide musical instruments to middle schools throughout the state. Now, these students are moving into high school where they are helping to grow those marching bands. This invitational is a way for us to highlight that growing interest in music.”
Since 2010, the partnership with Save The Music Foundation has provided grants totaling $4,800,000 to 120 middle schools in all 55 counties across the Mountain State.
“I have had the pleasure of judging the West Virginia Marching Band Invitational since 2014 and the number of participating schools, as well as the overall quality of the performance, has been significantly improving year by year as Save The Music Foundation, in partnership with Department of Arts, Culture and History, deliver the instruments to middle schools throughout the state, which feed into the participating high schools,” said Chiho Okuizumi Feindler, Chief Program Officer for Save The Music Foundation. “Judging the competition is certainly one of the highlights every year and it will be especially meaningful to witness the live music making as many of us have not attended live performances for some time now.”
The invitational includes competition judging for music, music effect, general effect, marching, percussion, drum major, color guard, majorettes and twirlers. A Miss Majorette competition is also held at the event.
A special drumline competition also will be featured as part of the competition. The preliminary rounds will begin at 3 p.m. on the State Capitol Complex and will feature drumlines from 10 schools. A full schedule of the marching band and drumline competitions is listed below.
The invitational will begin at 8:55 a.m. and continue throughout the day, culminating in an awards program that evening. Admission is $8 for ages 12 and older and $7 for 11 and younger.
The Marching Band Invitational at Laidley Field schedule for the day is:
8:55 a.m. NATIONAL ANTHEM – Barboursville Middle School
9 a.m. Buffalo High School
9:15 a.m. Poca High School
9:30 a.m. Sissonville High School
9:45 a.m. Lincoln County High School
10 a.m. Logan Senior High School
10:15 a.m. Chapmanville Regional High School
10:30 a.m. Ravenswood High School
10:45 a.m. Wirt County High School
11 a.m. Scott High School
11:15 a.m. Wyoming East High School
11:30 a.m. BREAK
11:45 a.m. Wayne High School
12 p.m. Bluefield High School
12:15 p.m. Independence High School
12:30 p.m. Williamstown High School
12:45 p.m. Westside High School
1 p.m. Calhoun Middle/High School
1:15 p.m. LUNCH
1:45 p.m. Winfield High School
2 p.m. James Monroe High School
2:15 p.m. St. Marys High School
2:30 p.m. Wahama High School
2:45 p.m. South Charleston High School
3 p.m. Tug Valley High School
3:15 p.m. BREAK
3:30 p.m. Clay County High School
3:45 p.m. Paden City High School
4 p.m. Petersburg High School
4:15 p.m. Greenbrier West High School
4:30 p.m. Valley High School
4:45 p.m. Nitro High School
5 p.m. Pocahontas County High School
5:15 p.m. MISS MAJORETTE
5:45 p.m. Hurricane High School
6 p.m. Greenbrier East High School
6:15 p.m. Parkersburg High School
6:30 p.m. Huntington High School
6:45 p.m. St. Albans High School
7 p.m. Woodrow Wilson High School
7:15 p.m. Robert C. Byrd High School
7:30 p.m. Oak Hill High School
7:45 p.m. BREAK
8 p.m. Tyler Consolidated High School
8:15 p.m. Lewis County High School
8:30 p.m. Spring Valley High School
8:45 p.m. Parkersburg South High School
9 p.m. Princeton High School
9:15 p.m. Philip Barbour High School
9:30 p.m. Richwood High School
9:45 p.m. Cabell Midland High School
10 p.m. Drum Finals
AWARDS
Schedule for Drumline Preliminary Competition at State Capitol Complex:
3 p.m. Oak Hill High School
3:10 p.m. Williamstown High School
3:20 p.m. Parkersburg High School
3:30 p.m. BREAK
3:40 p.m. South Charleston High School
3:50 p.m. Princeton Senior High School
4 p.m. Greenbrier East High School
4:10 p.m. BREAK
4:20 p.m. Parkersburg South High School
4:30 p.m. Morgantown High School
4:40 p.m. Cabell Midland High School
4:50 p.m. Philip Barbour High School