2 Bests and 2nd overall for Nation Ford band at BOA

Both the Nation Ford and Fort Mill high school marching bands competed against 24 bands from across the Southeast in the Bands of America Regional competition at Winston-Salem Saturday.

The top 10 scoring bands during the preliminary competition moved to the finals competition later in the evening.

Nation Ford finished second in the preliminary competition and finals. Fort Mill placed third in both the preliminary competition and the finals. First place honors went to Dobyns-Bennett in Tennessee.

In addition to its runner-up status, Nation Ford captured the award for Best Music Performance in both the preliminary and finals competition and won Best General Effect in the finals.

“With this being our first competition, the students were a bit tentative in the preliminary portion of the event,” director Martin Dickey said. “After getting that performance under their belt, you could feel the confidence build as they performed in finals. The music and general effect of the show was definitely the strongest part of our performance.”

Heading into the finals, the Fort Mill band felt good about its performance.

“The students had a confident and well executed performance at prelims,” he said. “Their finals performance was more emotionally engaging, and many audience members commented that they felt the difference in the performance level. There were some timing issues in the finals run that marred the technical execution of the show, but the passion and energy the students brought are very encouraging.”

Having the Fort Mill and Nation Ford bands at the same competition gave parents and friends an opportunity to cheer for both of the town’s award-winning marching bands.

“I feel so blessed that my family lives in a community that supports the arts as much as sports programs for our children,” said Lisa Crimminger, parent of a senior in the Fort Mill marching band. “I'm thrilled that we have two of the best band programs in South Carolina right here in our little town.”

Pruitt echoed that sentiment.

“I would also like to congratulate Nation Ford on their outstanding performances on Saturday,” he said. “They came very close to winning the entire competition. In a competition with bands representing five states, it is noteworthy that this small wedge of real estate that is Fort Mill/Tega Cay had two of the top three spots. This is something we can all celebrate.”

Marching on next week

Nation Ford will perform on Saturday, Oct. 17 in the Western Carolina University Tournament of Champions in Cullowhee, N.C.

As the band prepares for its next competition, Dickey said Nation Ford will focus on the visual presentation of the performance.

“We will pay a lot of attention to the details in regard to better marching,” he said.

Fort Mill will perform Saturday at Blythewood Tournament of Bands. Indian Land’s marching band did not compete during the weekend but is also preparing to compete in the Blythewood Tournament of Bands.

“This is a turning point in the season where the students can handle the demands of the show well enough that they can begin to communicate with the audience on a higher, more artistic level,” Pruitt said. “We (the staff and directors) are very pleased with their progress, spirit and determination, and believe the next three weeks will be transformative.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 1:24 PM with the headline "2 Bests and 2nd overall for Nation Ford band at BOA."