Marching Steampunks Entertain At Music Of The Knight! Performance

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The cold air stiffened performers' fingers and complicated sound equipment Saturday, as nineteen Connecticut high school marching bands took the field at Southington High School for the Music of the Knight! competition. Nevertheless, the dedication of the performers, fueled by the energy of the crowd, resulted in a long and memorable spectacle. The six-hour annual show at Fontana Field, which is one of the state's largest, represented the final 2025 home performance for the Southington Blue Knight Marching Band. 

A full house at Fontana Field

Putting On A Show

Because marching bands in the United States have their origins in military bands, they are often associated with a degree of uniformity and precision. But modern marching band style is highly artistic, more Broadway than military academy. Each band's show has a theme, which the music, patterns, uniforms and props all reflect. At the Music of the Knight! show, Cheshire High School's theme was "Mad Science," while New Milford's "Slither" was highlighted by the plush stuffed snakes that wound around the arms of the color guard and the percussion instruments:

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

Southington's theme this year was Steampunk. Described online (with multiple attributions) as "what happens when Goths discover the color brown," steampunk is an aesthetic that combines Victorian and Edwardian clothing fashions with analog technologies, such as clockwork made from wood, brass, leather, and glass component, all powered by steam. The band's uniform for the year consisted of black pants, long, deep-blue velvet jackets, top hats, and the occasional set of aviator goggles:

The color guard – a group of non-instrumentalist dancers who twirl flags and spin mock rifles and sabers – wore copper-colored overalls.

The Steampunk theme was further conveyed by elaborate wooden scenery: plywood gears with a large clock and a faux smoke stack that blew paper-streamer smoke from its top. Even the band's musical repertoire fit the theme, as they played a composition with clockwork rhythms called Steampunks.

For the most part, high school marching bands no longer march – at least not with the kind of high-stepping one might imagine. Instead, they glide smoothly across the field, holding their instruments steady, and occasionally executing intricate dance steps:

Some instrumentalists don't march at all. They occupy a sideline section called the Front Ensemble, whose large musical equipment has to be wheeled onto the field. In Southington's Ensemble, several percussionists played xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, trap percussion (smaller items like windchimes and tambourines), a giant bass drum, and a gong. Three students serve as drum majors and conduct the band from tall platforms.

The color guard feature as dancers in addition to bearing -- and twirling -- flags, sabers and rifles. Unconcerned with making music, they are far more mobile on the field, bringing action, color and skill to the performance. One highlight of Southington's show was a pair of performers who tossed their spinning rifles 25 feet into the air, fell to their knees, and caught them simultaneously – a daring maneuver that received a rousing cheer from the crowd.

All in all, Southington's performance was tight and well-executed. Trombonist Eli Rosin described the performance as "a pretty solid rep." The band, he said, had been working on the sharpness of its cutoffs, where the sound stops all at once. Two sophomores, baritone player Samantha McBride and vibraphonist Willa Chmura, agreed that the performance had been "amazing," but focused on a sad aspect of the event: it was the final home performance for graduating seniors. Nevertheless, those seniors will have a few more opportunities to perform and compete at the state-level competition in New Britain and at a national competition in New Jersey.

McBride and Chmura emphasized the hard work that goes into making a high-quality marching band show. In addition to a two-week summer band camp, the band holds three-hour practices three nights a week, plus weekend performances and travel. Participation in the band can also be quite expensive, costing between $500 and $4875, depending on factors like travel and fundraising success. Southington parent Mike Miceli said that the band offers countless opportunities for families to fundraise a good portion of the costs. Some activities, like participating in Drum Corps International during the off-season, are optional, and financial assistance is available.

Eyeing The Competition 

In marching band competitions organized through the USBands association, bands compete in brackets according to their size and skill level. For example, Bristol Central High School's band is classified as Performance Class, Group II. This means that a smaller group, about 50 students, plays and marches for the fun and experience of performing.

Southington is classified as an Open Class band, indicating its more advanced and competitive level of performance, and as Group IV, since it has about 93 members. The only other band performing in Southington's class on Saturday night was rival New Milford. Rosin and drummer Austyn Nelson explained that, as the home team, the Blue Knights were officially exempt from competition, but that their performance would be scored and that score would determine seeding in later state-level competition. They would also keep a close eye on New Milford's score, since the Green Wave had scored two-tenths of a point higher than the Blue Knights in a recent matchup.

UCONN Closes Out The Night

The Music of the Knight! show ended with an exhibition performance by the massive UCONN marching band. 325 UCONN students played a more traditional precision marching band show. The sound was loud and rich, and the final fight songs energized the crowds:

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

After the exhibition, Southington band seniors were honored and the competition results announced. As host of the event, Southington will receive a non-public score.

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This article was edited to note that financial assistance is available and to reflect the following information on band participation costs, provided by the Band Backers: