That's right. There is a "Band-A-Rama," a "Band-O-Rama," and yet another "Band-O-Rama" in Ohio this weekend. One of the latter two bills itself as "Ohio's longest-running marching contest," having started in 1961. The "Band-A-Rama" is a mere youngster, having launched in 1965 (and that show was a festival, not a competition, for most of its existence).
These are the
OMEA schedules for this Saturday, September 30, 2023. All bands are from Ohio unless otherwise noted:
Watkins Memorial H.S. (Pataskala, OH), "Mid-Ohio Classic," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)10:00 a.m. -- Nelsonville-York H.S. "Marching Buckeyes" (C)
10:15 a.m. -- Adena H.S. "Warrior" (Frankfort) (C)
10:30 a.m. -- Licking Valley H.S. (Newark) (B)
10:45 a.m. -- Berne Union H.S. "Golden Rocket" (Sugar Grove) (A)
11:00 a.m. -- Lexington H.S. (A)
11:15 a.m. -- Big Walnut H.S. "The Pride of [B.W.] Golden Eagle" (Sunbury) (AA)
11:30 a.m. -- Dublin Scioto H.S. (AA)
11:45 a.m. -- Licking Heights H.S. (Pataskala) (AA)
12:00 p.m. -- Watkins Memorial H.S. "Marching Warriors" [Exh.]*
12:20 p.m. -- Awards
Columbus Grove H.S. (Columbus Grove, OH), "Eyes with Pride Invitational," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)4:00 p.m. -- Woodmore H.S. "Wildcats" (Elmore) (C)
4:15 p.m. -- Kalida H.S. (C)
4:30 p.m. -- Fort Recovery H.S. (C)
4:45 p.m. -- Ada H.S. (C)
5:00 p.m. -- Arcadia H.S. (C)
-- break 5:15 p.m. --6:15 p.m. -- Marion Local H.S. (Maria Stein) (C)
6:30 p.m. -- Versailles H.S. (B)
6:45 p.m. -- Maumee H.S. (B)
7:00 p.m. -- Ottawa-Glandorf "Titan" (B)
7:15 p.m. -- St. John's Jesuit "Titans" (Toledo) (B)
7:30 p.m. -- Rossford (C)
-- break 7:45 p.m. --8:15 p.m. -- Van Buren H.S. "Black Knight" (B)
8:30 p.m. -- Berne Union H.S. "Golden Rocket" (Sugar Grove) (A)
-- break 8:45 p.m. --9:00 p.m. -- Columbus Grove H.S. (C - ratings only)
9:15 p.m. -- Awards
Valley H.S. (Lucasville, OH), 9/30/2023 (OMEA)5:00 p.m. -- River Valley H.S. (Bidwell) (C)
5:15 p.m. -- Wellston H.S. "Golden Rockets" (B)
5:30 p.m. -- Rock Hill H.S. (Ironton) (B)
5:45 p.m. -- Minford H.S. (B)
-- break 6:00 p.m. --6:15 p.m. -- Dawson-Bryant H.S. (Coal Grove) (A)
6:30 p.m. -- Hilliard Davison H.S. (AA)
6:45 p.m. -- Valley H.S. "Indian" (C - ratings only)
7:05 p.m. -- Awards
Northwestern H.S. (Springfield, OH), "Band Fest," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)5:00 p.m. -- Bethel H.S. "Pride of Bethel" (Tipp City) (C)
5:15 p.m. -- Arcanum H.S. (C)
-- break 5:30 p.m. --6:15 p.m. -- Greenville H.S. (A)
6:30 p.m. -- Dublin Scioto H.S. (AA)
6:45 p.m. -- Marysville H.S. (AA)
-- break 7:00 p.m. --7:15 p.m. -- Northwestern H.S. (B - ratings only)
7:30 p.m. -- Awards
Grove City H.S. (Grove City, OH), "41st Marching Band Invitational," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)5:00 p.m. -- Blanchester H.S. (C)
5:15 p.m. -- Chesapeake H.S. (B)
5:30 p.m. -- Westfall H.S. (Williamsport) (B)
5:45 p.m. -- Licking Valley H.S. (Newark) (B)
-- break 6:00 p.m. --6:15 p.m. -- Circleville H.S. (B)
6:30 p.m. -- Heath H.S. (B)
6:45 p.m. -- Bloom Carroll H.S. (B)
7:00 p.m. -- Logan Elm H.S. (Circleville) (B)
-- break 7:15 p.m. --7:30 p.m. -- Marion Harding H.S. (A)
7:45 p.m. -- Piqua H.S. (A)
8:00 p.m. -- Franklin Heights H.S. (Columbus) (A)
-- break 8:15 p.m. --8:30 p.m. -- Thomas Worthington H.S. (AA)
8:45 p.m. -- Pickerington H.S. Central (AA)
9:00 p.m. -- Dublin Coffman H.S. (AA)
9:15 p.m. -- Grove City H.S. (AA - ratings only)
9:40 p.m. -- Awards
Marietta H.S. (Marietta, OH), "62nd Annual Band-O-Rama," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)5:00 p.m. -- Union Local H.S. "Marching Jets" (Belmont) (B)
5:15 p.m. -- Morgan H.S. (McConnelsville) (B)
5:30 p.m. -- Indian Valley H.S. "Marching Braves" (Gnadenhutten) (B)
5:45 p.m. -- Meigs H.S. "Marauder" (Pomeroy) (B)
6:00 p.m. -- St. Clairsville H.S. (B)
-- break 6:15 p.m. --7:00 p.m. -- Belpre H.S. (C)
7:15 p.m. -- Crooksville H.S. (C)
7:30 p.m. -- Fort Frye H.S. "Marching Cadets" (C)
-- break 7:45 p.m. --8:00 p.m. -- Tri-Valley H.S. (Dresden) (A)
8:15 p.m. -- Lexington H.S. (A)
8:30 p.m. -- Point Pleasant J.R./Sr. H.S. (Point Pleasant, WV) (A)
8:45 p.m. -- Lancaster H.S. "Band of Gold" (AA)
9:00 p.m. -- Licking Heights H.S. (Pataskala) (AA)
-- break 9:15 p.m. --9:30 p.m. -- Marietta H.S. "Wall of Sound" (A - ratings only)
-- break 9:45 p.m. --10:00 p.m. -- Awards
Avon Lake H.S. (Avon Lake, OH), "58th Annual Band-A-Rama," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)5:15 p.m. -- Buckeye H.S. (Medina) (B)
5:30 p.m. -- Black River H.S. (Sullivan) (B)
5:45 p.m. -- Highland H.S. (Marengo) (B)
6:00 p.m. -- Marlington H.S. "Marching Dukes" (Alliance) (B)
-- break 6:15 p.m. --6:30 p.m. -- Willoughby South H.S. (A)
6:45 p.m. -- Avon H.S. "Mighty Eagle" (AA)
7:00 p.m. -- Avon Lake H.S. "Marching Shoremen" (A - ratings only)
7:20 p.m. -- Awards
Hamilton H.S. (Hamilton, OH), "46th Annual Band-O-Rama," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)
5:15 p.m. -- National Trail H.S. (New Paris) (C)
5:30 p.m. -- Covington H.S. (C)
-- break 5:45 p.m. --6:00 p.m. -- Carlisle H.S. (B)
6:15 p.m. -- Deer Park H.S. (Cincinnati) (B)
6:30 p.m. -- Clinton-Massie H.S. (Clarksville) (B)
6:45 p.m. -- Norwood H.S. (Norwood) (B)
7:00 p.m. -- Madeira H.S. (Cincinnati) (B)
-- break 7:15 p.m. --7:45 p.m. -- Edgewood H.S. (Trenton) (A)
8:00 p.m. -- Ross H.S. "Band of Class" (A)
8:15 p.m. -- Kings H.S. (Kings Mills) (AA)
8:30 p.m. -- Lakota East H.S. (Liberty Twp.) (AA)
8:45 p.m. -- Walnut Hill H.S. (Cincinnati) (AA)
9:00 p.m. -- Troy H.S. (AA)
9:15 p.m. -- Hamilton H.S. (AA - ratings only)
9:35 p.m. -- Awards
Revere H.S. (Richfield, OH), "17th Annual Revere Marching Band Invitational," 9/30/2023 (OMEA)6:15 p.m. -- Cloverleaf H.S. (Lodi) (B)
6:30 p.m. -- Firestone H.S. "Falcon" (Akron) (A)
6:45 p.m. -- New Philadelphia H.S. (A)
7:00 p.m. -- Crestwood H.S. "Scarlet Guard" (Mantua) (A)
7:15 p.m. -- Copley H.S. (A)
-- break 7:30 p.m. --8:00 p.m. -- Brunswick H.S. (AA)
8:15 p.m. -- Medina H.S. "Musical Bees" (AA)
-- break 8:30 p.m. --8:45 p.m. -- Revere H.S. "Marching Minutemen" (A - ratings only)
9:00 p.m. -- Awards
And these are the
MSBA schedules for this Saturday, September 30, 2023:
Springboro H.S. (Springboro, OH), "Marching Invitational", 9/30/2023 (MSBA)The schedule for this show is not yet posted on the MSBA website, but it is on Springboro's website. As you can see, each band performs twice. In between, each band receives an "on-field critique" from the adjudicators. No awards ceremony is mentioned, so I don't know if the first three bands will be scored or only receive comments:
4:00 p.m. -- Dayton Christian (Miamisburg) (A)
4:45 p.m. -- Dayton Christian (Miamisburg) (A)
5:00 p.m. -- Harrison (AA)**
5:45 p.m. -- Harrison (AA)**
-- 6:00 p.m. break --
6:15 p.m. -- Northmont (Clayton) (AAAA)
7:00 p.m. -- Northmont (Clayton) (AAAA)
7:15 p.m. -- Springboro (AAAA - exhibition)
8:00 p.m. -- Springboro (AAAA - exhibition)
**Can anyone confirm that this William Henry Harrison H.S. from Harrison, OH? That seems likeliest, but MSBA's and Springboro's sites are of no use on this point.
South Oldham H.S. (Crestwood, KY) "Festival of Bands," 9/30/2023 (MSBA)5:45 p.m. -- Rising Sun H.S. (IN) "Shiner Pride" (A)
6:00 p.m. -- Cumberland Co. H.S. (Burkesville, KY) (A)
6:15 p.m. -- North Bullitt H.S. (Shepherdsville, KY) (A)
6:30 p.m. -- North Oldham H.S. (Goshen, KY) (A)
6:45 p.m. -- Hart Co. H.S. "Raider" (Munfordville, KY) (A)
-- 7:00 p.m. break --
7:15 p.m. -- John Hardin H.S. (Elizabethtown, KY) (AA)
7:30 p.m. -- Ballard H.S. "Bruin" (Louisville, KY) (AA)
7:45 p.m. -- Pleasure Ridge Park H.S. (Louisville, KY) (AA)
8:00 p.m. -- Woodford Co. H.S. (Versailles, KY) (AAA)
8:15 p.m. -- Bullitt East H.S. (Mount Washington, KY) (AAA)
--8:30 p.m. break --
8:45 p.m. -- Louisville Male H.S. (AAAA)
9:00 p.m. -- Paul Laurence Dunbar H.S. (Lexington, KY) (AAAA)
9:15 p.m. -- Harrison Co. H.S. (Cynthiana, KY) (AAAA)
9:30 p.m. -- South Oldham H.S. (AAA - exhibition)
9:45 p.m. -- Awards
Simon Kenton H.S. (Independence, KY), "Marching Band Classic," 9/30/2023 (MSBA)6:15 p.m. -- Ludlow H.S. (KY) (Exhibition)***
6:30 p.m. -- Taylor H.S. (AA)****
6:45 p.m. -- Madison H.S. (Middletown, OH) (AA)
7:00 p.m. -- Highlands H.S. (Fort Thomas, KY) (AA)
7:15 p.m. -- Pulaski H.S. (Somerset, KY) (AA)
-- 7:30 p.m. break --7:45 p.m. -- Conner H.S. (
The Sticks *Hebron*, KY) (AAA)
8:00 p.m. -- Oak Hills H.S. (Bridgetown, OH) (AAAA)
8:15 p.m. -- Campbell County H.S. (Alexandria, KY) (AAAAA)
8:30 p.m. -- Simon Kenton H.S. (A)
--8:45 p.m. break --9:00 p.m. -- Awards
***Wikipedia is not very good about listing Kentucky schools. The only "Ludlow High School" known there is in Massachusetts.
****Which "Taylor" is this? MSBA's 2023 page has both a Taylor County H.S. of Kentucky and a Taylor H.S. of Kentucky signed up for championships later this year -- does the latter even exist? MSBA's member schools page has just one "Taylor": the "Marching Yellow Jackets" from Cleves / North Bend, Ohio, about 40 minutes from this competition. That's my best guess. (But that members list includes many bands who haven't performed at an MSBA show in years or don't even exist anymore, like Glen Este H.S., which merged with Amelia H.S. to form West Clermont H.S.)
There was originally one more MSBA show scheduled for this weekend at Goshen H.S. (Goshen, OH), but it was cancelled.
*I found a document that was distributed to Watkins parents last April about costs, forms, camp, etc. for the upcoming marching band season, apparently following a presentation on the same. Here's what it says about the change that was made this year:
"Our regular season runs from mid-July to early November. The Marching Warriors perform at all home and away football games, community events such as parades, and at several other festivals and events each fall. Beginning this fall The Marching Warriors are transitioning to a non-competitive formal, but will continue performing in a 'corps style.' Although in the past we have spent most of our season preparing a single competition program, this year we will prepare multiple entertainment focused halftime shows and strive to establish a lively and exciting game atmosphere on Friday nights. We will still perform in 'Festival Class' in at least two OMEA Competitions, including our own Mid-Ohio Classic, and travel to perform at 1-2 band festivals (non-competitive events) in the region."
Back in the mid-1980s, my high school got a new director just before my freshman year. The band had been competing for a while but had yet to qualify for state. The new director, who'd been the assistant at a competition band before helming a festival band for a few years, said the school board expected him to put on three shows per year (not counting the pregame show): one competition show and two halftime shows. We were issued music accordingly, but three or four songs never were performed (as I recall, they included "Sara" by Starship and "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister), because we never did learn that second halftime show. I think he convinced the board that he could get us to qualify for state if we didn't have to spend time learning that third show. And we did qualify. And as far as I know, the band has only done two shows ever since (and they've qualified for state every year since). Was Watkins, who is of similar size and only sometimes qualified for state, really putting all their effort into just the one show every year?