Marching band competes in Osseo Band Festival on Owatonna

OSSEO – ‘I’m with the band.’

The quip, displayed prominently on the back of blue shirts indicating fans of the Owatonna High School Marching Band, was one of pride on Saturday, as the band competed in the 2009 Osseo Band Festival.

The OHS Marching Band has swept the competition this year, taking first place at three out of five competitions, and giving some of the best musical competition in the state a run for their money. On Saturday, the band took second place in their class, however, losing to Winona Cotter High School by only six tenths of a point.

“It was really close,” said Pete Guenther, the band director. “The kids did a really nice job and I am proud of them.”

Owatonna marched third in the parade, which kicked off at noon with humid weather and cloudy skies, though the rain held off long enough to let the band perform their show-stopping tune.

“We were fortunate with the weather, being at the front of the parade,” said John Ahlberg, who has a daughter in the band and was at the show on Saturday. “All summer, the weather has either been hot and sticky or rainy.”

But Ahlberg said he was impressed with the band’s performances during competition season, which wraps up today as the band travels about 70 miles northeast to march at the Lake City Water Ski Days.

“I think it’s been a great season, because they’ve had some pretty major finishes,” he said. “It’s been a very positive season.”

Ron Segner, who also has a daughter in the band, said as he watched the parade that he didn’t know much about marching, but from watching his daughter practice at least five days a week, he knew it was challenging work.

“I think it’s great the dedication and hard work they have put into the show,” said Segner. “Marching band is just as hard as any sport.”

Unlike sports, however, the scores for the marching band’s show were handed down by a panel of six judges after the parade. The band was judged on music execution, marching execution, visual effects and the music’s general effect, as well as being judged on the performance of the percussion and color guard.

OHS has wowed judges with their jazz repertoire this year, performing “One More Time, Chuck Corea,” a piece made famous by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. The show not only features a trumpet trio, which is performed by Travis Miller, Olivia Meyer and Dylan Carlson. It also features some fancy footwork – footwork that reveals a band having fun and marching in sync at the same time.

Even the little sibs on hand for the parade were impressed by the performance of their big brothers and sisters.

Olivia Dintzman, 9, has an older sister who marches in the band, and she said that when she is old enough, she might like to perform with the marching band too.

“I would be in percussion,” said Dintzman.

The OHS Marching Band will finish out their 2009 competition season today in Lake City, Minn. The band will march in the Ski Days parade, which begins at 2 p.m. in downtown Lake City, at the corner of West Illinois and South Garden Street.

Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.

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Member Opinions: By: cialunatic on 6/28/09 Congrats to The Owatonna band members! I wish them the best of luck traveling "southeast" to Lake City. Keep up the good work! By: BigBen7 on 7/1/09 Good job band! Two thoughts--How is it considered sweeping the competition when you didn't win about as many times as you did win? Does anyone else think they should have summer uniforms? At the firefighter's parade, I saw one girl get taken out of the parade with heat issues. Those outfits look horrible to have to march around in.
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