NHS Band & Guard Place

First In Saturday Competition

Scoring an impressive 85 points in its first Musical Arts Conference (MAC) competition of the season, the Newtown High School Marching Band & Guard took home the first place trophy in the Class V division at a Saturday, October 1, show at Trumbull High School.

Band Director Kurt Eckhardt said the band and guard is “executing better every week.”

Mr Eckhardt added, “They are doing a good job. A lot of kids are working very hard. They are really capable of great things.”

Braving strong winds in a show full of multi-rotation saber and rifle tosses and intricate flag work, the 26-member NHS Color Guard, along with the 87-member band, excited the crowd gathered at Trumbull High School to watch nine high school marching bands from Connecticut and New York compete.

Mr Eckhardt said he is pleased with the talent he sees across all the Newtown High School and Middle School grades represented in the band and guard, and noted, “We have an especially powerful class of juniors this year.”

Mr Eckhart also said he was pleased with the support he saw at Newtown’s “Home Show” the weekend before on September 24, the 15th Annual Joseph P. Grasso Festival.

“It is so important for the kids to see their family, friends, and town coming out to see them perform,” he said. 

This year’s Grasso festival featured seven high school marching bands from Connecticut, and was “standing room only” by the time Newtown performed in exhibition and honored the 14 graduating Newtown High School Marching Band & Guard seniors. 

Festival coordinator Scott Reiss credited his team with a job well done. 

“I have received so many positive comments about Grasso, but the credit goes to the team of parent volunteers who made this event such a success,” said Mr Reiss. “It was a great evening. Not even the lights going out for a bit could stop Newtown from having a great show we can all be proud of.”

 The NHS Marching Band & Guard will next compete on Saturday, October 15, at New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium in the US Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) Yamaha Cup.