Blue Knights Marching Band Triumphs in States, Nationals
- Philip Thibodeau
- Nov 13
- 3 min read
It has been an unforgettable past few weeks for the Southington Blue Knights Marching Band. First, they played host to 18 other bands from across the state for the Music of the Knight! competition on Saturday, October 25. At the end of a long day, the Knights performed their feature show “Steampunks” before an enthusiastic home crowd and honored the band’s graduating seniors.
Then, on November 1, the Blue Knights traveled to New Britain for a statewide band competition at Veterans Stadium. An inspired nighttime show put the Knights first in their class – Group IV, which includes Connecticut’s larger high schools. The judges awarded them a score, 93.800, that was second only to Norwalk’s among all the schools at the competition.
Everyone in the band was thrilled by the outcome. “It was electric,” said band director Sara Ossias. “You could tell immediately: as soon as they were done with that final note, you could see it in their faces. They were vibrating they were so excited. The energy coming off the field was so high, they just unleashed in the parking lot. They were screaming and hugging. They knew it was a great show.”
That exuberance was the reward for several days of intense practice. “For the whole week,” Ossias explained, “we ran very aggressive rehearsals. That was the one thing that had been lacking, having a little more energy in the show. We brought that energy to the States performance and it really paid off.”
The next step for the Blue Knights was Nationals. On Saturday, November 8, they loaded their equipment onto trucks and boarded buses for the trip to Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. After a long day of driving, unloading, practicing, and waiting, Southington’s turn in the spotlight came at 7:10:
Once again, the Blue Knights put on a powerful performance. They won the silver award in their division with a score of 96.450, which was the fifth highest among the 57 schools in attendance. Just as exciting was the fact that the Blue Knights received awards for Best Color Guard and Best Overall Effect.
The recognition represented the culmination of months of hard work. The band's decision to use ‘steampunk’ as the theme for this year’s show was made early in the spring. Performers and coaches worked all summer long perfecting the various areas on which the team is judged, including musical proficiency, musical effect, visual effect, color guard, and percussion.
Students and teachers were supported by a tight network of parents and volunteers who did everything from manage construction of the sets to sell snacks at events. They were constantly fundraising to help defray the costs associated with band participation.
Overseeing the whole operation are Ossias, the Director of Bands, and Harrison Stuppler, the Associate Director. ‘Sara and Harry’, as everyone linked to the band refers to them, have been working together since 2015.
During that time they have guided the band on a journey that has produced a display case full of banners, medals, and other awards – a case that now includes several new state and national honors.
The Southington Outsider would like to thank Jenn and Mike Miceli of Miceli Productions for their assistance in putting together this article.
