Montana State to host showcase featuring Montana high school marching bands on Oct. 4

BOZEMAN - Montana State University's Spirit of the West marching band will host nine high schools from across Montana on Saturday, Oct. 4, for the annual Showcase of Bands.

The event, now in its eighth 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 featuring music from the film "How to Train Your Dragon" from Spirit of the West, MSU's 41-year-old band that performs for campus and community events.

"First-time spectators may be surprised to hear how much cheering there is for the different bands during their performances," said Nathan Stark, MSU's director of bands. "It really is a high-energy event. Our primary goal is to encourage our high schoolers to keep playing."

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 professional 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 p.m. - National anthem, sung by Rosalyn Steiner
• 2:10 p.m. - Sweet Grass County High School
• 2:20 p.m. - East Helena High School
• 2:35 p.m. - Sheridan High School
• 2:50 p.m. - Fergus High School
• 3 p.m. - Belgrade High School
• 3:15 p.m. - Gallatin High School
• 3:30 p.m. - Havre High School
• 3:45 p.m. - Flathead High School
• 4 p.m. - Bozeman High School
• 4:10 p.m. - Spirit  of  the West
• 4:20 p.m. - Awards
• 4:30 p.m. - Drumline battle