Playing Up Their Strengths

BLOOMINGDALE - It's Friday night football without the football - seven hours of halftime performances as high school bands compete in the annual marching band festival.

Under clear bright skies with the crispness of fall in the air, 23 Hillsborough County bands competed Nov. 3 at Bloomingdale High School, feathers flying, metal buttons sparkling and wind instruments polished as smooth as mirrors.

The bands were not competing for trophies or ribbons, but for rankings that ranged from fair to superior as part of the Florida Bandmasters Association's annual District 7 music performance assessment.

In all, more than 2,300 band members strutted, drummed or danced their way through 10-minute routines in a competition that began at 3 p.m. and didn't end until nearly 10.

Bloomingdale's band members served as volunteers, helping guests find their way around the school grounds. An additional 150 volunteers helped organize the event.

Volunteer Tracey Corn of Bloomingdale no longer has a child in the band. Her daughter Kelley, 19, played flute for the Rajun' Bulls Marching Band during high school and is now a Florida State University band member.

"It made a huge impact on her life," Tracey Corn said. "She learned so much - how to get along with others working in a group, managing her time and confidence."

Tracey Corn said she continues to volunteer at band functions "out of loyalty. I keep in contact with many of the band people. We made lifelong friends here."

The festival scheduled the bands according to size, from smaller bands - such as the 2-year-old, 36-member Lennard High ensemble, to the 247-musician-strong Bloomingdale band.

Lennard freshman Crystal Bohlander, 14, of Ruskin, plays flute in the band.

"It's my passion since I was in the fifth grade," she said. "I love it."

Her bandmate Jeanine Tatlock, 15, said she played clarinet in middle school and looked forward to playing in high school.

"It's what I wanted to do pretty much forever," she said.

She likes working with a small troupe of musicians.

"Because we're small, we're like a family," she said.

The music was as varied as the colors of the band and auxiliary uniforms - from vintage Jackson 5 numbers belted out by Armwood High to Chamberlain's James Bond themes and Gaither High's Metallica tunes.

Bloomingdale band director Jon Sever said bands had 10 minutes to perform and were allowed to choose the music. Bloomingdale chose a medley of Red Hot Chili Peppers songs.

Sever said Bloomingdale was looking to mark its 20th year with a superior ranking as it prepares to apply for a choice spot in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008 or '09.

"From an educational standpoint, the Florida Bandmasters Association ratings are sort of our FCAT," Sever said.

For Chamberlain drummer Brian Kane, 15, being in the band is about commitment.

"It's several days a week during school and after school and games on Fridays - probably 10 to 12 hours a week," he said. "But it's fun."

Parents and other family members are equally committed, spending time at games and rehearsals.

Robert and Gloria Hathaway, who are in their 70s and living in Sun City Center, went to hear their granddaughter Rachael Becker, 14, play the saxophone in the Brandon High band. The couple moved to Sun City Center about two years ago from Florida's east coast so they could support their grandchildren at football games and other activities.

"We go to all the football games," Gloria Hathaway said. "And we clip all the newspaper articles."

"I think these activities are great," Robert Hathaway said. "It keeps them out of trouble."

Beth and Kina Kaio of Lutz were at the festival to watch their daughter Niccole, 17, play the marimba in the Freedom Marching Patriots band.

"She loves music, and she said if the band plays as good today as it did at the game Friday night, Freedom will move up from excellent to superior," her mother said.

HIGH NOTES

Here are the high school bands that performed in their order of appearance, with their rankings.

School

Grade

Lennard

Good

Jefferson

Excellent

Spoto

Excellent

Wharton

Excellent

East Bay

Excellent

Chamberlain

Superior

Tampa Bay Tech

Excellent

Armwood

Good

Plant City

Excellent

Freedom

Superior

Robinson

Excellent

Hillsborough

Superior

Leto

Excellent

Middleton

Good

Brandon

Excellent

Plant

Superior

Blake

Superior

Alonso

Superior

Durant

Superior

Newsome

Superior

Gaither

Superior

King

Superior

Bloomingdale

Superior