The Benicia Middle School band is, by some accounts, the farm team for the very successful Benicia High School band who’s practice room can barely hold the band and all the trophies they’ve won over the years.
Last Friday, the middle school band hosted the California Musician Educator Association Festival and walked away with an award of their own; a Unanimous Superior grade, one of only two awarded at the festival.
The festival is not a competition but rather an evaluation. Only two of the 10 participating bands were from middle schools. The other Unanimous Superior grade went to the Napa High School String Quartet. The concert band from the Benicia High program was also on hand and received a Superior rating.
On Saturday both the Panther Marching Band and the Benicia Middle School Vikings Marching Band participated in the Welcome home parade honoring the return to Benicia of the California national Guard 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from their tour of duty in Iraq.
The Vikings got to show off their new uniforms at the parade. The band was easy to spot because of the number of proud parents who were walking along the parade route, video cameras in hand to record the unveiling of the new uniforms.
The new uniforms were recently purchased with money raised through the efforts of the Band Boosters.
“This is a wonderful kick off to our marching season and it’s great to be able to show off our new look in our own town parade,” said Nora Rodgers, the Booster Band president.
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If there’s something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor JB Davis at 707-628-0051 or email him at benicia@patch.com.
