High-stepping bands coming to Tiffin Saturday
By MaryAnn Kromer, mkromer@advertiser-tribune.comFootball season wouldn't be quite as festive without marching bands to play the fight songs and provide halftime shows. This year, Tiffin University and Columbian High School are joining forces to host a marching band festival at 7 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 18) at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin.
Christian Secrist, director of instrumental music at Tiffin University, explained how the cooperative effort originated. Because the schools share Frost-Kalnow Stadium, it seemed natural to work together on the project.
"This is the first time we've been involved in one and the first time we've collaborated for something like this," Secrist said. "It was kind of a mutual thing. We were working on a show ourselves, and I talked to Michael Hampp, who is director of Columbian High School Band. He was interested in doing one, too."
Hampp said the stadium is a busy place with four schools using the facility. Although he and Secrist would like to make the festival an annual event, availability of the field is the deciding factor. The last time Hampp was able to host a marching band festival was about seven years ago.
"Oct. 18 was the only Saturday available the whole year," Hampp said. "We try to do a festival when it works out. We went to Anthony Wayne last year, and we've been to several others in the past, so we thought we'd host our own as soon as we could. A date opened up, so we grabbed at it."
Members of the Ohio Music Educators Association, the two directors sent invitations to other member schools. Hampp and Secrist also invited a few other schools they had worked with in the past. Each band was able to choose its own show for the evening. Secrist said most bands have a set of music they use for performances throughout the year.
The two host bands will perform the national anthem jointly to begin the festival. The festival is to feature six additional high school bands, including Northwood, Hopewell-Loudon, Clyde, Upper Sandusky, Seneca East and Bucyrus. The festival is a non-competitive event designed to showcase each band at its best. Local radio personality Frank Barber will serve as the master of ceremonies.
"Each band gets about 15 minutes, so it will last a couple hours with an intermission in the middle," Secrist said.
The Tiffin Columbian High School Marching Band is to perform a Blues Brothers Revue, featuring "Gimme Some Loving", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hold On I'm Comin'", and "Soul Finger". The Tiffin University Marching Band is to feature a tribute to Stevie Wonder including, "Uptight", "Higher Ground", "Sir Duke", "Part-Time Lover", "Master Blaster", "Superstition", "Overjoyed", and "I Wish".
Both directors are hoping the weather cooperates for the festival. Hamp said he is trying to reserve the gymnasium so that the bands would be able to play their selections, even if they couldn't march. With more than 500 students and their parents expected to attend, indoor space could be a problem.
"We have 52 members and the Columbian High School band has 113," Secrist said. "They're going to be the biggest band at the event." "We're hoping to make this an annual tradition."
The marching band festival is open to the public. Tickets are $5 at the gate. A full concession stand is available. All proceeds will benefit the Tiffin Columbian High School Band Boosters and The Tiffin University Marching Band. For more information, contact Secrist via e-mail at secristc@tiffin.edu or call (419) 448-3439.
TU band now properly outfitted
A music program is a rather recent offering at Tiffin University, said Christian Secrist, director of instrumental music at T.U.
"This is our fifth year as a marching band. This is my sixth year here, and the band started four years before I got here," he said.
The band plays at all home football games for Tiffin University and an occasional out of town contest. Secrist said the band started out wearing jeans and T.U. sweatshirts to play at TU games and didn't do any marching. Then the musicians moved up to wind suits for a more coordinated look and added simple formations.
"We just purchased marching band uniforms for the first time this year," Secrist said.
Recently, the band performed when TU played the University of Findlay. For now, they stay close to home, but Secrist said that may change in the future.
