The Grove City College Wolverine Marching Band will open its performance year on Sunday, August 14 at Kennywood.
The band will march at 6 p.m. in the West Mifflin, Pa., amusement park’s annual Fall Fantasy Parade series. Local fans will get their first chance to see this year’s band on campus at 8 p.m. August 17 for the Fall Preview Show at Thorn Field.
It’s the beginning of another big year for the Wolverine band, which will perform at home football game halftime shows, parades, and festivals across the region, Band Director and Professor of Music Dr. Andrew Erb said.
The Wolverine Marching Band has around 110 members, including 16 in the band front, two drum majors and managers and an announcer, Erb said.
On Sept. 25, the band will be featured at the Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, Pa. “It is the largest college festival in the eastern half of the country and only 20 bands are invited to perform,” Erb said.
In addition to that festival appearance, the ensemble will be the collegiate feature band at Oil City, North Hills, and Mercer County band festivals, and host the Grove City Marching Band Invitational on Oct. 8 at Thorn Field. The festival will include bands from Grove City High School, Sharpsville High School, Valley High School, East Palestine High School, AC Valley High School, Lincoln High School, and Jefferson High School, and feature the College band.
“It’s become quite an event,” Erb said. “The festival is an adjudicated event but is non-competitive. Each band will perform not only for the audience, but also for a panel of three judges who will offer recorded comments and give immediate feedback to the students,” Erb said. “It is a great way for students and directors to get some constructive criticism, grow, and improve without the pressure of competition, placements, and scores. The invitational has become a highlight event and has filled the stands each year.”
For more about the Department of Music, visit gcc.edu/musi.