Thursday night, 10 schools from all over southwest Michigan took the Niles High School football field to show off the hard work they’ve put in throughout the last several months.

The event, which served as the culmination of the season for hundreds of students, drew just as many — if not more — people as a Friday night football game, and the fans had every right to be just as loud.

The stands were rocking as the Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association District 6 marching festival returned to Niles High School. Students from Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan proudly showed off their halftime shows to earn ratings from band professionals judging their performances.

Niles and Buchanan each received the highest possible ratings, earning Division I designation, and Brandywine received a Division II rating.

Though the Bobcat band was rated lower than its neighboring districts, the students have a lot to be proud of. Growing from just more than a dozen students a few years ago to more than 50 this year, the Brandywine band welcomed back color guard for the first time in several years, and performed better than it has in quite some time.

This event is always an impressive one to witness, as the parents, faculty and friends who attend are so supportive of the musicians on the field.

While athletes certainly deserve all the recognition they receive on game nights, it is nice to see other students in the spotlight, proudly boasting the fruits of their labor.

Events like these are not possible without the hard work of parents and faculty who plan them, or the dedicated students who put so much time and effort into perfecting their talents. All those involved should be proud of the hard work, and we can’t wait to see how much our local bands grow next year.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.