West Milford Highlander Marching Band to host first annual band competition
WEST MILFORD. The organizers hope to make this an ongoing event.
| 07 Sep 2022 | 11:19
West Milford Highlander Marching Band practices a performance.
The inaugural Highlander Marching Classic will include bands from Bayonne, Lenape Valley Regional, Morristown, Ramsey, and Vernon high schools.
Taking place on Saturday, September 17, the two-time National Champion West Milford Highlander Marching Band will host its first marching band competition, named the Highlander Marching Classic. While the Highlander band competes many times each fall season, all of those competitions have taken place at other schools around and outside of the state. This year will mark the first time there will be a competition held on West Milford school grounds.
USBands, one of the largest national circuits, has offered West Milford a spot in hosting one of their early season shows, for which the band and staff are ecstatic. Matthew Gramata, marching band director of the WM Concert Band, attributes the renovation of the spectator stands and the installation of the AstroTurf field for enabling this competition to happen.
“I have always been a proponent of bringing performance opportunities to our community, as West Milford has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the arts. The incredible facility renovations have finally enabled us to pursue this venture and we hope to make the Highlander Marching Classic a staple in the New Jersey marching arts circuit for years to come,” High School Marching Band Director Dr. Brian McLaughlin said. “This is a great opportunity to showcase our new facilities.”
Building on their legacy of hosting their annual bagpipe tattoo, jazz competitions, and indoor colorguard and percussion competition programs, the West Milford Band Parents Association expressed excitement regarding this opportunity to host another event to showcase the quality of the West Milford School facilities and act as host to many competing marching music programs.
McLaughlin, who has hosted numerous competitions in districts prior to becoming a staff member at West Milford, said, “Hosting a marching contest can be a terrific economic boost to both the band and the community at large, as it brings in a high number of visitors to the town.”
The bands scheduled to compete at the inaugural Highlander Marching Classic are Bayonne, Lenape Valley Regional, Morristown, Ramsey, and Vernon high schools.
The Highlander Marching Classic will be held at 11:50 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, on McCormack Field behind Macopin Middle School at 70 Highlander Drive. Parking will be available at West Milford High School at 67 Highlander Drive and the Westbrook Elementary School at 50 Nosenzo Pond Road parking lots. The gates will open at 11 a.m., with the show starting at 11:50 a.m. Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 for children and seniors, with those 5 years and under free. Tickets will be sold at the gate — cash sales only.
