On September 9th, 2017, the Mustang Marching Band (MMB) held their third annual competition, “Music in Motion.” Each year, schools from around the region come together to compete to add to their list of competitive achievements. Five bands came to compete, each performing twice, with our band performing an exhibition, an unscored performance of their show, “Dream Within a Dream.” The schools that participated in the competition were Caldwell County High School, Marshall County High School, Mayfield High School, Murray High School, and Paducah Tilghman High School. The event had 2,500 people in attendance.

Prior to the competition, MMB held a senior recognition ceremony, in which the seniors from MMB were recognized for their hard work in the band program. Around a dozen seniors were recognized during this ceremony. Many upperclassmen in the band worked throughout the day to help make this competition possible. Students worked as guides- helping bands find warm-up  and waiting areas before and after performances, in warm-up spaces- helping bands get in and out in the amount of time required, in the hospitality center- keeping students from other schools to stay hydrated and safe, and directing buses to where each band was designated to park. Band parents also played an important role, working concessions, bringing desserts for the hospitality center, collecting entrance fees, and keeping band students on track.

At the start of the competition, the bands performed a preliminary run through, and later competed in the finals, resulting in their final scores. This year, Murray won the Grand Champion award with their show, “The Bridesmaid”. Murray also received Best Percussion and Best Color Guard in their class and overall. This award-winning show was focused on a ghostly bride who was left at the alter long ago and has since begun wreaking havoc on other brides. John Lovell, MMB’s director, speaking of Murray’s performance, stated “I really liked Murray’s strong use of visuals and design to support the overall theme of the show.  Murray’s show design is on a national level.”  Last year, their show, “7 Minutes,” was an impressive performance about a girl trapped in a horrifying timed escape game incorporating a prop with a trapdoor, which a dancer fell through. Each year Murray High continues to impress us with extravagant shows – though we hope to out-perform them in future competitions!

This competition is a major school event which continues to be a success. If you haven’t attended previously, make sure you don’t miss next year’s. It will be an incredible opportunity to support the band while getting to see several amazing shows produced by schools across the region.