On Oct. 19, Jupiter High hosted the annual Festival of the Bands where ten talented high school marching bands competed in the Velocity Community Credit Union Stadium. 

The competition is a highly-anticipated event for all participating bands, regardless of their size and experience. 

“We have a smaller program, so if you’re in band, you march,” Melbourne High School band leader Adam Beard said. “Our kids are marching 12 hours a week to prepare.”

In the moments before a band took the field, fans could see drum majors and conductors run to different sections of the group, making sure they were ready to go.

Marching band members work year-round to enhance their talent and put in hours of practice, sometimes in the grueling heat, to perfect their routines.

“I see it as like I need to prepare a big exciting thing,” junior tuba player Ed Lorvil said. “We only have a certain amount of competitions in our season and after that we get a new program.”

While band is traditionally associated with playing an an instrument, dance and visuals also play a large role in performances.

“We put our visual into the music so all of our choreography matches the music,” sophomore color guard member Brianna Burke said.

Each new performance did something completely different from the last. The bands’ stories ranged from the moon landing to the end of the world. All were equally dramatic and well-performed. 

Jupiter High’s performance was focused around a fallen angel. The program represented the angel’s descent from grace as well as her return to good. In addition to this unexpectedly heavy subject matter, there was an artificial tree on the field that would light up in sync with the music. 

Writer’s note: I think what made the night was how everything was so extra. It was impossible to watch each performance with your mouth closed. It was comparable to a Disney Live show. A musical performance exploring the righteous journey of an angel is the last thing I was expecting to see that night, but I loved it. Not just our school’s performance, but every performance.