LAURINBURG — Pride, tradition and a bit of soul has driven the Scotland High Marching Band to success — twice — as they secured second place overall during competitions at Gray’s Creek High School and South Columbus High School this past weekend.
During those two competitions, the band took first place for drum majors at both events, first place for marching performance, and first place for color guard.
The theme for their field show is “New York: An Empire State of Mind.” With a mix of musical pieces from jazz to pop, the band marches and dances to reflect the busy start of the day, a jazz nightclub, a traffic jam, a night ride and blast “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys to end on a fun note.
Besides catching up on school work, the band practices for 90 minutes in band classes and every Tuesday and Wednesday night for three hours on the field.
“The students work extremely hard and we are very pleased with the level of performance they have achieved,” said Britton Goodwin, band director. “It has been a strange season for us.”
He is referring to Hurricane Florence, the storm that kept the students out of school for more than two weeks.
“We had not yet learned the full field show when the storm hit — obviously, we were not ready,” said Goodwin.
The band would not perform at a competition until Oct. 20, which was supposed to be their fourth competition.
“So many parts were hit, competitions would be canceled because instead of the normal number of 20 teams that would compete, maybe four or five bands would be able to come,” added Goodwin.
The competitions they have attended were not on the schedule, but Goodwin said they were able to go at the last minute. He gives thanks to the community for their needed support.
“We are more supported than other schools, (from) the community and the school system, we are so thankful for that,” said Goodwin.
With those wins, the band is working hard for upcoming performances and competitions. To support and learn more about the band, visit scotlandbands.com.
Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or jpembrick@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
