Band preparing for Renegade Review
Posted on 10/11/2018
Sapulpa Marching Band(SPS) - If you live near the football stadium, you hear them every school day morning.

The Sapulpa Marching Band takes the field at 7:30 a.m. and fills the air with percussion, brass, woodwinds, and Band Director Craig Amendt giving direction from high atop the press box.

This week they’re prepping for Renegade Review on Saturday at Union High School. Sapulpa Marching Band is one of 18 bands from five states competing at the school’s football stadium for parents, friends, and especially the seven judges.

“There are judges on the field and in the press box,” said Amendt.

The judges are looking at how the music affects the audience both visually and musically.

“Are we playing together? Do we sound good together? It’s not so much what we do, as much as how we’re doing it,” said Amendt about what the judges consider.

While the band will be judged on how they sound and how they look, the music will be weighted higher than the visual.

“You can’t go to a competition and not be visually intriguing and interesting and do well but they just wanted to put the emphasis on the music part.”

Each of the 18 bands is given a 15-minute block for set-up, performance, and to leave the field. That doesn’t leave much time but it’s not what concerns Amendt the most.

“I think the most stressful part is just making sure that all the electronic equipment we set up so quickly is ready to go. That’s probably every band director’s worst nightmare,” he said. “Everything’s so electronic-heavy now with marching bands, it’s a lot different than it used to be, and so the judges are looking for those different kinds of sounds and such and so if they’re not happening, you’ll have an entire part of your show they won’t hear, so it’s, that’s why it’s so crucial.”

The competition begins at 11 a.m. with Sapulpa Marching Band performing at 1:30 p.m. The top 12 bands will move on to the finals with the winner being announced at 10:30 p.m. You can view the performance schedule here.

It makes for a long day, but it's one that the band can use to their advantage as they watch the other performances.

“You can see what things work with other groups and maybe you’ll think of something for in the future that you might try.”

So just maybe they’ll learn something new they can put to use at OBA State Marching Championships in Broken Arrow on the 20th or the OSSAA Regional Marching Contest in Tahlequah on the 24th.

Good luck, Sapulpa Marching Band!