The star studded acts that normally grace the main stage at the grandstands of the Wayne County Fairgrounds stepped aside on the Monday morning of fair week to make way for the annual performance by Wayne Countys high school marching bands.
Bands from the 10 high schools located within Wayne County - Chippewa, Dalton, Smithville, Norwayne, Northwestern, Rittman, Waynedale, Triway, Orrville and Wooster – performed on the main stage in front of the grandstands to a large and enthusiastic crowd on Wayne County Schools Day at the Wayne County Fair on Sept. 12.
Each school performed a 15-minute show which included music from their fall marching band pre-game, post-game and halftime shows as well as their school fight song or alma mater.
The annual band show is the culmination of months of hard work by directors and band members alike.
Preparations for the performance began months ago as the bands prepared for their fall marching season. Band directors from throughout the area select music for their shows in the spring and begin work to chart the marching drills the students perform during the elaborate pre-game, halftime and post-game shows. Once the students arrive for band camp in July, music and marching rehearsals go into full swing, with many bands rehearsing for as many as 25-30 hours a week.
The Wayne County Schools Day performances included a wide variety of musical selections from the very traditional to the decidedly modern.
Interspersed amongst pop hits by the likes of Lady Gaga and music from big screen blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean were traditional favorites including The Ohio State University Marching Bands signature song, Across the Field.
In addition to providing the greater Wayne County community with the opportunity to hear the results of the students hard work, the annual performance gives the music students themselves the opportunity to hear bands that they normally would not have an opportunity to hear because they are in different athletic conferences.
It also provides student musicians with the opportunity to reconnect with their colleagues in other area schools, many of whom already know each other well through participation in Solo and Ensemble contests or attending music camps, such as the one offered each summer at The College of Wooster.
For the audience, the annual band performance provides the community with the opportunity to hear 10 of the best bands in Ohio perform in one venue and to support the countys student musicians.
Coordinated by the Tri-County Educational Service Center, the annual marching band performances have been a tradition at the Wayne County Fair for well over 60 years.
The annual marching band performance at the Wayne County Fair is part of a series of music-related activities and performances coordinated by the Tri-County Educational Service Center and designed to supplement the already strong music programs offered within the county by local school districts.
Included in Tri-Countys offerings is the Wayne Center for the Arts Childrens Chorus program, a childrens symphony orchestra concert for fourth-grade students and an opera performance for fifth-grade students designed to introduce students to live musical performances, a Solo and Ensemble Festival showcasing the talents of instrumentalists in fifth through 12th grade, the Tri-County Honors Band for gifted high school musicians, the Wayne County Festival of Choirs for high school choir students and the Wayne County Bandarama for high school marching bands.
For more information on these and other services offered by the Tri-County Educational Service Center, log on to http://www.tricountyesc.org.
