The Bellevue West Marching Band had the opportunity to learn and perform in the inaugural Bellevue Band Festival on Oct. 5. Bellevue West, along with Bellevue East, were the hosts of this event, and the event was held at both locations.
Throughout the course of the day the marching band, which consists of both band and color guard, were able to learn and perform their routine, themed “Everything is Coming Up Roses.” They spent part of the day in clinics, or meetings with band instructors to teach new skills.
Bellevue West’s director of bands, Marques Eckhoff, had been preparing for this show since October 2023. He said he hoped this would be a way for the band to improve their skills through the clinics offered.
“The kids get so much better, the directors get so much better,” Eckhoff said
Eckhoff said the festival was like “education” for the band students. Percussion member Colin Lloyd said he also used this event as a way to grow and show his skills.
“I’m most excited about the chance to show what I can do and how successful I can pull it off,” Lloyd said.
The festival began early in the morning, with bands from around the area meeting at Bellevue East and Bellevue West to spend one hour each in the clinics. As the evening approached, the bands then traveled to Bellevue East to compete. As Bellevue West was one of the hosts, they did not compete, but put on an “exhibition” as the final performance before awards.
At the awards ceremony, Millard West won first place, followed by Westside winning second and Gretna winning third.
Along with the clinics, the marching band also used this as a way to enjoy and view other schools’ performances and skills.
“It’s just a great way to see what other bands are doing, how they’re doing it, how successful they’re doing, and just overall what bands are doing,” Lloyd said.
Color guard member Abby Bartholomew is a member of the weapon line and flags. She said the chance to showcase her skills without being judged was a key element of the festival.
“I’m most excited to see the other shows and get to perform and not have to be scored over it,” Bartholomew said.
Hosting the first Bellevue Band Festival overall gave the marching band many valuable opportunities for growth.
“I think the excitement is that this is new, and nobody has done a festival like this,” Eckhoff said, “I think that’s really valuable for not only in the area, but for the kids and instructors.”