Niwot Marching Band competes at Greeley Invitational Marching Festival

For the first time since 2018, the "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band attended the Greeley Invitational Marching Festival on Saturday Oct. 21. High schools from Greeley, Loveland, Longmont, and the towns in between were invited to come perform their halftime shows.

Marching bands who attend the Greeley Invitational receive a score between one and one hundred. Scores are based on musical ability, marching performance, and a general effect category. However, bands do not compete against each other for a ranked placement, rather against themselves to get as good of a score as possible. There are no formal winners.

"Students love to perform for each other," said Wade Hendricks, Director of Bands at Niwot High School. "There is a tremendous, positive feedback from the filled stands as all other performing groups watch (and support) each other." Hendricks also said that band students are simultaneously the biggest supporters and harshest critics, but overall create a very positive and encouraging environment for each other.

St. Vrain Band Night, which took place on Wednesday, Oct. 4, is the other local event for nearby high school bands to showcase their halftime performances. The biggest difference between Band Night and the Greeley Invitational is that students get the opportunity to work with a clinician at the end of their performance when they attend the Greeley Invitational Marching Festival.

This year, Niwot's band received feedback from a St. Vrain Valley School District music director, Chad Lemons. Lemons is currently the music teacher at Mead Elementary, but had previously been the Director of Bands at Mead High School for several years. "It was great to hear (constructive feedback) from someone who had not seen our show previously," added Hendricks.

At the end of the high school performances, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) "Pride of the Rockies" Marching Band showcased their halftime show for everyone as well. Their performance provided a brief lens into what band is like after high school and into college for many students.

Other St. Vrain Valley School District schools in attendance at the Greeley Invitational Marching Festival included Silver Creek High School and Mead High School. Both schools have had high collaboration and comradery with Niwot High School this season.

Be sure to catch the final performance of the 2023 "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band when it performs the Star Wars halftime show on Thursday, Nov. 2, during the Senior Night football game with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont against Denver North High School.