URBANDALE — The Perry Blue Brigade is quickly making a name for itself as one of the more entertaining marching bands around.
Perry placed fourth in the Urbandale Marching Band Invitational Saturday, one week after finishing third in Class 3A at the Fort Dodge Invite with a score of 68.5 — the highest ever for a Perry marching band.
“Our entire staff is extremely proud of our students,” PHS Instrumental Music director Brandon Weeks said. “They have worked hundreds of hours in preparation for these festivals, and their hard work is starting to pay off.”
Bands are judged at competition by a panel of six judges based on written criteria produced by the Iowa High School Music Association. Up to 200 points can be awarded for music execution, music general effect, marching and maneuvering execution and marching and maneuvering general effect, with up to 100 points awarded for percussion and for color guard. Scores are then totaled and averaged.
There are currently 92 students performing in the Blue Brigade, with 14 students in the Perry Color Guard.
“The students have really bought into the growth mindset,” Weeks said. “They are getting better, little by little, day by day. This group of students has been able to do things that no other band recently has been able to do, and it is all due to their hard work.”
The Blue Brigade has been performing a Randall Standridge routine “Pulse: The Art of Motion.” The show is to recognize the “pulse of our heartbeat” and “pulse of our lives.”
Perry will pull double-duty Saturday, beginning with competition in the State Marching Band Festival at Waukee High School at 10:55 a.m. They will then travel to Ankeny for the Ankeny Mid-Iowa Marching Band Championship at 6:15 p.m.
