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Rain predictions didn’t materialize Saturday for the 69th Annual Tri-State Band Festival as the daylong competitive event was completed under dry and partly sunny skies.
“The Friday before, we were crossing our fingers it wouldn’t rain,” said Katie Oksness with the Luverne Area Chamber.
“We were pretty fortunate on that one.”
The 9:30 a.m. parade on Main Street began in low 40-degree temperatures with 17 bands, including host band Luverne and guest band of Northern State University from Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Temperatures rose into the high 60s for the afternoon field competition that kicked off at 12:30 p.m.
All in the family
Five of Mike and Wanda Jarchow’s six children are members of the Luverne High School Marching Band.
“It’s really convenient to have them all in one activity as it eliminates having to go to several different directions at the same time,” Wanda said.
Mela, a senior, is one of the drum majors for the marching band. Elise, a junior, plays trumpet. Griffen, a sophomore, plays saxophone. Anja, a freshman, plays clarinet. Katia, a seventh grader, is a percussionist whom Mela recruited for the high school band.
Mela, as well as the other Jarchow children, has been in band since starting in the fifth grade.
Typically, the high school band is made up of ninth- through 12th-graders. “We usually don’t have enough (percussion) pit members and typically pull up eighth-graders,” Mela said.
When first-year marching band instructor James Jarvie talked to his drum majors about finding additional members of the percussion pit, Mela was quick with a suggestion.
“I have a sister in band,” she recalled saying. “I feel we could use her.”
The other Jarchow kids agree that this year’s band feels more like family than previous years. “It feels pretty normal,” Griffen said. “It’s pretty fun.”
Dad Mike often drives one of the buses when the band travels to competitions. The kids also don't mind if a parent comes along, especially when the band breaks for lunch.
“It is really nice,” Mela said. “I don’t have to bring money.”
Results from the 69th
Tri-State Band Festival
Waseca High School was awarded with the K.M. Getman Award for excellent sportsmanship and spirit.
Brookings earned the sweepstakes award in parade. Roosevelt earned the field sweepstakes award.
People’s Choice awards were given to West Central for their parade performance and O’Gorman for their field performance.
Luverne High School, as host band, performed exhibitions in both the parade and field competitions.
Parade and field results:
•Class A:
Parade: first, Murray County Central; second, Garretson, out of five bands. No Class A schools participated in the field competition.
•Class AA
Parade: first, Sioux Falls Christian; second, West Central, out of six participants.
Field: first, West Lyon Community; second, Sibley-Ocheyedan, out of six bands.
West Central earned outstanding wind and percussion sections.
Lennox was named outstanding percussion.
West Lyon earned outstanding drum major recognition.
•Class AAA
Parade: first, Brookings; second, Waseca, out of the bands.
Field: first, Brookings; second, Waseca, out of five bands.
Brookings earned outstanding wind and percussion awards from the judges and O’Gorman earned the outstanding auxiliary and drum major awards.
•Class AAAA
Parade: first, Worthington. No second place was awarded.
Field: first, Roosevelt; second, Brandon Valley, out of four participants.
Roosevelt was chosen for the outstanding wind section.
Brandon Valley earned outstanding percussion, auxiliary and drum major awards.