Published: November 06, 2009 11:18 am      

'Sound of Suwannee' qualifies for State

SHS marching band earns superior rankings, takes third in prelim

The Suwannee High band, the Sound of Suwannee, came away from the 2009 Southern Showcase of Champions Marching Band Invitational in Alachua recently with a "Superior" ranking and a third place showing in their division. More importantly, the band earned a berth in the Florida State Marching Band competition, set for Nov. 21 in Tampa, with the finals to follow later that evening in nearby St. Petersburg.

"I am extremely proud of each band member's ability to step up and continually improve their skills each week, and get excited about showcasing their talents at competition," said SHS Band Director Stacey Gindlesperger. "Their hard work and dedication has paid off, and we now look forward to competing at the state level."

The SHS band performed its competition show, "Spy Zone," before multiple judges and a packed stadium of parents, friends and bands from around the state. The program included selections from the 1970s TV show Mission Impossible, jazz theme Harlem Nocturne from Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and For Your Eyes Only, the opening theme to the James Bond movie of the same title. Each piece featured a different soloist, including students Brenna Manns and Erin Carroll, guard; Tori Bilodeau, trumpet; and Lindsay Michael, clarinet.