Every year before the first formal competitions of the year, the marching bands of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County gather at Broadway High School for a showcase. This noncompetitive event is meant for all the bands to come together and celebrate the work they’ve done over the past few weeks and to get feedback on what they can still improve.  

Senior color guard captain Glorious Njoroge enjoys seeing how other color guards from different bands perform. She finds it interesting to see how other bands have interpreted their music in a visual way every year.

“I love watching our local bands because we get to see how each band is growing not only in guard but the band as a whole,” Njoroge said.

The showcase is intended to be a time for bands to get feedback and improve their shows. Judges at the showcase are gathered to cover multiple different subjects: visual effects, music, color guard and percussion among them. After a band performs, they are taken aside during a fifteen minute interim to hear notes the judges have collected. To junior assistant drum major Alice McNett, this advice is helpful to the band.

“I think it affects the band in that they receive new feedback that’s more meaningful coming from someone they don’t see everyday,” McNett said.

This year the showcase was held inside the school gymnasium due to recent rainstorms. The bands performed their shows in place, playing their songs while doing any visual effects without movement.

“We consider and often incorporate suggestions that the clinicians give to improve the show,” McNett said. “This year, because it was indoors, we weren’t able to get feedback on marching.”

Weather aside, the show still went on and the bands were able to continue their tradition of a friendly and open experience.

“It’s just an overall really fun experience, especially when there’s no trophy. It’s just pure fun,” Njoroge said.