On Monday, September 25, 2017, the Cass High Marching Colonels attended and performed in the Bartow County Marching Exhibition, which was held at Adairsville High. At the exhibition were the schools of Woodland, Cartersville, Cedartown, Rockmart, and Adairsville. Every school performed amazingly and were happy to get a practice in a competition-feeling atmosphere, before getting judged and placed at a real competition.

At these types of events, each band gets “judged.” There is a judge/commentator for the drum major (the person who conducts the band on a podium), 3 judges/commentators for the band (the people playing the wind instruments), a judge/commentator for percussion (the drumline and pit), and a judge/commentator for color guard (the people with the flags, wooden rifles, and sabers). Each judge writes, as well as voice records, while they watch and talk about things that the band (or the group they judge) could do better. They tell them where they should play louder, where accents would sound better, and tell where the marching could use some more work.

Each band that went to the Marching Exhibition has practiced since July and continues to practice each week 2-3 times for 2-3 hours each day. They all worked tediously to finish the 8-10-minute show, as well as perfect it as best as they can. The judgment given to the bands, help motivate them to go into competitions and place 1^st to 3^rd.

At the exhibition, each band sits and watches the other bands perform until they have to warm up for their performance. The bands do not talk during other’s performance and do not speak negatively about the other’s performance. They do not get up and get food or use the restroom until the performance is finished. Each band does this because it is polite and respectful, and they would want the other bands to do the same thing for them. Marching band is a family, and they all treat each other the same because they know how hard it is, and how much work goes into it.

Good Luck to the Colonel Marching Band!