The Campbell University Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band will host its first marching competition for high school programs at Barker-Lane Stadium at noon on Oct. 14.
Ticket are $10 each and are available at gocamels.universitytickets.com.
Titled the “Caravan of Bands,” the competition will host 10 regional high school marching band programs — each will showcase their marching performances — and the day will conclude with a performance by Campbell University’s Sound the Sandhills Marching Band & Guard. Campbell’s “Welcome to Our Mardi Gras” show highlights the music and culture of Carnival season in New Orleans, known as Mardi Gras.
The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band will travel to perform in the Krewe of Poseidon parade in New Orleans on Jan. 27, 2024. Campbell performed at its first exhibition in October 2022, presenting their marching performance, “Welcome to Our Time Warp.” Campbell was also the featured band at the Raider Roundup competition at Midway High School. Both shows were arranged by Dr. Adrien Re, arranger and woodwind professor at Campbell. The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band is under the direction of Dr. Michael Phillips.
“We are excited to bring the Sound of the Sandhills and Campbell Bands program to another level of engagement in the performing arts in our region,” said Phillips, director of athletic bands at Campbell.
In addition to the Caravan of Bands, Campbell will host a Band Jamboree BBQ Benefit on Oct. 21 (http://bit.ly/CUbandjamboree)(bit.ly/CUbandjamboreetickets) and will participate in the Raleigh Christmas Parade on Nov. 18, before heading to New Orleans in January.
“We want to especially thank the collaboration efforts of the many amazing band programs and their directors throughout the region, our energized Campbell Band & Guard students, as well as our Campbell University president and cabinet for their support in elevating our program, encouraging our effort as ambassadors to the University and in our goal to bring more talented students to our campus. With this support we are able to establish not only our concert programming in wind bands, strings, jazz and voice, but also our growing athletic band programming in marching band, pep band, two winter guards, winter percussion and new concepts with rock band and more.
“Campbell is at the forefront of opportunity in the performing arts and the Campbell Athletic Bands take pride in being the largest inclusive group on campus.”
Caravan of Bands
Campbell will provide high school students with an opportunity to use university-level facilities in their marching performances. The facility environment will be different from their typical performance venues.
Brayden Coats, Sound of the Sandhills’ logistics coordinator and Campbell alum, calls the competition “a great opportunity to get high school students out of the high school scene and on to a college campus.” Coats has also worked for the highly regarded national band leadership clinics at Smith Walbridge Clinic in Illinois. He noted how the high school programs may be visiting a college campus for the first time and how Campbell may be their first impression of a college.
“Some students have never seen a college before, so the Caravan of Bands will present a new direction for high school students while doing a familiar and rewarding activity,” he said. “The goal of the exhibition is to bring high school band communities together in support and also expand Campbell’s outreach to high schools within North Carolina and beyond.”
Coats is now the director of bands at Triton High School, and also one of the 10 programs attending the competition.
The Caravan of Bands will include adjudicator comments and ratings for every band performing from the Central State Judging Association. The judging association is a national accredited organization, and sends adjudicators from the south east. Every band participating will be acknowledged at the award ceremony that concludes the event.
The Caravan of Bands brings together marching band communities from around the state of North Carolina and beyond.
“It will include band programs of all sizes from all over North Carolina and other regions,” said brass instructor and low brass professor Dr. William Beach. “Bands of every size are represented in our lineup. We’re pleased that the Caravan of Bands includes bands participating from as far away as Georgia.”
The Caravan of Bands is open for the public to spectate, and admission is $10 per person. The event will open for entry at 11 a.m. The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band will conclude the performances of the Caravan of Bands at 4 p.m. There will be a variety of food and craft vendors set up for spectators next to Barker-Lane stadium throughout the day.
Lineup for the Caravan of Bands
- Triton High School – Erwin, NC
- Eagle’s Landing Christain Academy – McDonough, GA
- Harnett Central High School – Angier, NC
- Charles B. Aycock High School – Pikeville, NC
- Clinton High School – Clinton, NC
- Athens Drive High School – Raleigh, NC
- Green Hope High School – Cary, NC
- Overhills High School – Spring Lake, NC
- Midway High School – Newton Grove, NC
- Cleveland High School – Clayton, NC
- Campbell University – Buies Creek, NC