Montana high school marching bands to perform at Montana State showcase Oct. 3

BOZEMAN - Montana State University's Spirit of the West marching band will host students from 10 Montana high schools on Saturday, Oct. 3, for the annual Showcase of Bands. 

The event, now in its ninth year, is a celebration of marching bands and their fans with performances that are free and open to the public. The showcase will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. in Bobcat Stadium, with gates opening at 1:30 p.m. One by one, each high school band will perform, concluding in a show from Spirit of the West, MSU's 41-year-old band that performs for campus, athletic and community events. The marching band will play music from "Super Mario Bros.," "The Legend of Zelda" and "Tetris" in celebration of 41 years since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The showcase will also include a performance from the nonprofit circus arts group 406Cirque.

"Showcase of Bands provides Montana high school marching bands with the rare opportunity to perform for one another while also receiving feedback," said Nathan Stark, MSU's director of bands. "While much more common in other parts of the country, we host the only such event in the entire state."

Following the showcase, bands will receive awards and non-scored evaluations from a panel comprised of Spirit of the West members. The showcase is the first opportunity for many bands to receive feedback as they begin their performance season, Stark said. 

A "battle" between high school drumlines will conclude the event. Drumlines will gather in the center of the stadium and take turns playing their cadences, grooves the band uses to keep in formation while marching, for one another. 

The Showcase of Bands lineup includes: 

• 2:10 p.m. - National anthem, sung by Kimberly Hilton, MSU assistant teaching professor of voice
• 2:14 p.m. - East Helena High School
• 2:22 p.m. - Sweetgrass County High School
• 2:30 p.m. - Glacier High School
• 2:42 p.m. - Havre High School
• 2:50 p.m. - Intermission
• 3:00 p.m. - Belgrade High School
• 3:08 p.m. - Gallatin High School
• 3:22 p.m. - Sheridan High School
• 3:35 p.m. - 406Cirque
• 3:50 p.m. - Fergus High School
• 3:58 p.m. - Flathead High School
• 4:10 p.m. - Bozeman High School
• 4:18 p.m. - MSU Spirit of the West
• 4:30 p.m. - Awards presentation
• 4:40 p.m. - End of formal event
• 4:45 p.m. - Drumline battle