The Newtown Marching Band & Color Guard earned bronze at the USBands National Open Class Championships on Saturday, November 9, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Newtown Marching Band & Color Guard performed its show “Life Sentence” for the final time, receiving a score of 95.475 in Group IV Open to win bronze. The group also earned the caption Best Percussion for the third year in a row, scoring a 98.5 out of 100, and the caption Best Color Guard. Two schools from Massachusetts came in first and second places. More than 45 ensembles from seven states performed during the all-day competition.

The end-of-season banquet for the Newtown Band & Guard was then held on the evening of November 11 at the Portuguese Center in Danbury. Band leadership thanked staff and board members, recognized volunteers, presented awards, gave speeches, and celebrated an excellent season. Newtown Director of Music Michele Hiscavich and Newtown High School Principal Dr Kimberly Longobucco attended.

Prior to the banquet, Visual Director Ricky Grasso expressed his respect for the members of the band and guard in saying, “It’s incredible to see a group of kids come together to work harder than they ever have before — it’s both inspiring and powerful. Friendships and long-lasting bonds are formed because of the challenges they face, together — all while being asked to rise to an occasion for the betterment of the group, putting the band before themselves. It’s just really awesome to see kids possess that character and pride.”

“I have witnessed each section and unit in this band once again grow and improve to maintain their status as one of the truly elite bands in Connecticut, New England, the United States,” Newtown Band Director Kurt Eckhardt said. “Our third straight top three finish at nationals is only something we could dream about, but these kids have accomplished that.”

The fourteen NHS Band and Guard senior members were honored and spoke during the banquet. The seniors are Virginia Hepp, Shilin Ray, Harrison Hermes, Ellie Minor, Gabe Pontore, Eric Franklin, Dan Fitzpatrick, Bec Remson, Connor Vignola, Alex Villa, Annie Minor, Gabi Ukabi, Lauren Menousek, and Moira McKinley.

Without missing a beat, Winter Percussion and Winter Guard seasons begin on November 18. During the winter, these groups compete as separate units.

Winter Percussion’s first competition will be a home show at NHS on February 22. Auditions and a parent meeting will be held at NHS, 12 Berkshire Road, from 6 pm to 9 pm, on November 18.

Winter Guard competes first on January 25 at Masuk High School in Monroe. The Winter Guard is looking for new members to join, and it is open to students in fifth to twelfth grade with no experience necessary. Auditions and a parent meeting will be held on November 18, from 5 pm to 8 pm, at Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane.