BRICK – Marching bands across the state all came together to show off their musical skills they’ve been practicing all summer long at a local competition.
The Brick Township High School Marching Dragon Caravan hosted their annual “Musicfest” where 15 New Jersey high school bands performed their field shows.
Competitive field shows are a combination of musical, visual, and theatrical elements, typically based around a specific theme or idea, BTHS Marching Band Director Christian Negri said.
“The competitions are all about giving the students an educational venue to perform and compete. Many other high schools host them and will typically attend several throughout the fall. For most members of marching bands, these competitions are the highlight of the season,” Negri said.
The annual event has been hosted by BTHS since 1994 and includes a panel of five judges that determine the score based on a rubric and list of criteria. Three of the judges score the musical elements and two judges score the visual elements.
The Marching Dragons performed “A New York Minute” at this year’s Musicfest. (Photo by Amanda Lalla)
“They look at how bands perform and how the show is designed. The five scores are averaged to determine the final score,” Negri said.
Bands are put into 1 of 4 groups based on the number of members (Group 1 being the smallest bands, Group 4 the largest). Within those divisions, there is a split in classification.
“A Class is made up of bands whose students are developing the fundamental skills to be successful performers, and are scored with a focus on student abilities. Open Class is made up of bands whose students are already performing at a high level, and so show design and content play a larger role in scoring,” Negri said “This year, the Marching Dragons are Group 2-A, and are looking to earn a promotion to Group 2-Open for next year.”
The Marching Dragons have been training hard in practices beginning back in June, with the season continuing through November. In September, the band began participating in competitions while continuing to rehearse and perfect their field show.
This year, there are 41 members in the marching band. They are up from 34 in 2022, and 19 from 2021. The band performed their competitive field show, titled “A New York Minute.” The show follows the band through a day in NYC, from being out on the busy streets, to a concert in the park, and coming across some lively street performers, Negri said.
Their show features Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” as well as original compositions by marching band arranger Jeff Chambers and Christian Negri.
Photo by Amanda Lalla
“Every year, the marching band staff looks to develop the necessary skills for the students to perform the field show. These include marching basics, techniques for their instrument, and physical training,” Negri said. “Our field show this year has a lot of moments where the students are required to act as different characters you may see in NYC, so we are additionally working on some acting techniques. But all of this is a vehicle to teach them skills that will help them in all areas of life, such as time management, personal accountability, leadership skills, and more.”
The Marching Dragons’ season continues as they recently competed in the regional championships and took first place in their category. Not only did they take 1st place, but they were also voted Best Music, Best Auxiliary, Best Percussion and promoted to Open Class for 2024. They are currently ranking #1 for Atlantic Coast.
Point Pleasant Borough High School took home the Mayor’s Award. (Photo by Amanda Lalla)
After state championships, the Marching Dragons will prepare for the Atlantic Coast Championships at Hershey Park.
“Day after day, this band continues to surpass my expectations. The students and staff have all worked very hard to make this season one of our most successful and I am very proud of them,” Negri said. “I also must mention our incredible parent’s organization, The Marching Dragons Caravan. They volunteer so much of their time to take on many of the tasks that will allow the staff to focus on teaching the students. This includes building props, chaperoning, maintaining the uniforms, being our pit crew, and so much more. In fact, they are the ones who did all the planning and ran this competition. Their support is invaluable and I couldn’t do it without them.”
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