Area bands are primed for the Championship at the Rock competition at War Memorial Stadium Saturday with the Lake Hamilton High School Power Band of Arkansas set to defend its six consecutive titles.
Preliminary performances will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until the first round of awards is announced at 5 p.m. Finals performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue to 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., depending on the number of finalists.
A total of 27 bands from throughout the state are scheduled to perform. Rudy Villines, director of bands for the Lakeside School District, said the Championship at the Rock is premier preliminaries and finals format band competition in the state.
"This competition means a lot to the Showband of Lakeside," Villines said. "We use it primarily as a learning opportunity, but also as a measuring stick. The judges at the competition are highly trained and give the directors and students wonderful feedback for improvement."
Lake Hamilton earned the title of grand champion in each of the first six years of the competition. Jon Shultz, Lake Hamilton director of bands, said the band still keeps its focus inward.
"We worry about our performances and we want to have two of the best performances we have ever had that day," Shultz said. "That is all we worry about. We can only control our level of achievement."
The Power Band marches with about 180 students each year. Lake Hamilton is scheduled for the final performances of the preliminary round at 4:45 p.m.
"Our focus is not on winning," Shultz said. "Our focus is on having two good runs. That is all you can do."
Lakeside is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. The Showband marches with 155 students.
"By going to a competition with so many high quality bands competing, we get an idea of what things we do well in relation to other bands and what things we need to rethink," Villines said.
"Our students get to see other bands and always learn a lot by watching and listening to their peers. It would mean a lot to our students and staff to be able to make finals this year. The students have worked long hours and sacrificed a lot for each other."
Lakeside placed eighth in the 2015 Championship finals and the Fountain Lake Cobra Band placed ninth after earning Class D grand champion in the preliminary stage. The Cobra band includes 80 students.
"Our students have been working very hard to prepare for one of our toughest competitions of the year," said Cobra Band Director Patrick Combs. "Championship at the Rock has bands from all over Arkansas, as well as a few from Texas."
Fountain Lake will return to War Memorial Stadium on Saturday after earning several awards in the Showcase of Bands marching contest on Oct. 7. The band won awards for outstanding music, outstanding marching Class AAA, overall winner AAA, Raymond Brandon Outstanding Musical Performance and band director. Fountain Lake is scheduled to perform at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday.
"The students have been working nonstop to get the entire marching show on the field, and their focus and drive is what has made this season possible," Combs said. "This Saturday will tell us what needs to be perfected before performing at our Region Marching Assessment and the 2017 State Marching Contest."
The Hot Springs Marching Trojan Band is scheduled to perform at 10:30 a.m. led by Lauren Russell, director of bands for the Hot Springs School District. The Trojan Band has grown in the last several years to include 94 students this year from Hot Springs World Class High School.
The Championship at the Rock provides bands with one of their final tests of the marching season. The Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association Region II Marching Assessment will be held at Lakeside Tuesday.
The 2017 ASBOA State Marching Contest will take bands back to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 30-31. More than 60 bands are scheduled to perform in the state contest.
Local on 10/20/2017