Germantown Band wins state title
GERMANTOWN — The GHS Marching Band won the State Championship and is inviting everyone to an encore performance tonight (Thursday).
In celebration of their victory at the MHSAA and Mississippi Band Directors Association State Marching Championship, the Germantown High School Band is performing an encore of their award-winning production, “Couture,” tonight.
The performance is in Maverick Stadium at 6:30 p.m., and admission is free.
The GHS Band finished in first place and was named the grand champions and gold medal winner at the contest at Northwest Rankin on Oct. 22, which marked their third state champion win in the past 12 years, and their first win in 6A.
Justin Harvison, director of bands at Germantown High School, said winning the state championship was a huge accomplishment for the students, parents, administrators, and the community.
“Winning this championship was a humbling experience and very exciting; we felt all the emotions,” Harvison said. “I’m happy for the kids and staff that we get to represent the community in this way.”
After earning superior ratings at the Region IV marching evaluations, the GHS Band qualified to participate in the championship for the state title against 17 other top bands in Mississippi.
During the competition the band performed their 2022 original production “Couture,” which featured music from Johnny Greenwood, George Gershwin, William Bolcom, Lorne Balfe, Maurice Ravel, and Georges Bizet.
The GHS band placed first with a score of 91.725, Hernando High School placed second with a score of 90.075, and Desoto Central High School placed third with a score of 89.700.
The band also took home special caption awards in First Place Color Guard, First Place General Effect, Second Place Visual Performance and First Place Music Performance.
“We won the whole thing,” Harvison said. “We were the grand champions and gold medal winners for 6A. This was our second year out of COVID, so last year was a reboot for us. Because of that we had a huge learning curve and an entire class of students who had never done marching band before, so this year was us finally getting back to normal.”
Harvison said despite the learning curve, the band worked harder and smarter, which paid off for the students.
“They were very excited about it and it was a meaningful season for them,” he said. “We’ve participated in other competitions like the national Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis and finished in 17th place out of 64 bands. We had a successful season and a state championship is something you dream about and they were extremely excited to win.”
Harvison noted the next step for the GHS Band is competing in more national competitions like the one in St. Louis.
“Competing nationally is eye opening for us and it shows what the kids are capable of,” he said. “Our goal moving forward is to continue competing more on the national level with our marching band and indoor ensembles. We plan to continue expanding and broadening our horizons, by continuing Mississippi competitive stuff, but also going into the national arena a little more. We focus on excellence and being the best at what we’re doing.”