Crestwood Marching Band season features ‘Grimm Tales’ theme

Howard County - The Crestwood High School Marching Band’s recently-completed 2017 season captured the imagination of audiences with the theme of ‘Grimm Tales.’

The show, performed at Crestwood High School home football games, featured musical selections ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rumplestilskin’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’

Crestwood High School Band Director Jason Dobbs said the visual elements of the show, aside from the marching formations, included actors playing the various roles in the fairy tales.   Rielyn Thomson (Gretel, miller’s daughter, Little Red Riding Hood), Donavyn Gosch (Hansel, Wolf), and Katrina Sanders (witch, Rumplestilskin, Grand-mother) played the acting parts in character costumes, often switching to different costumes between songs to play the multiple characters in the show.

To enhance the story themes, the show also incorporated lines from the stories played over loud speakers, several props such as five artificial trees that were 12 feet tall, a spinning wheel, and a large wooden gingerbread house. The props and their accessories were constructed by Director Jason Dobbs, as well and band parents Dan Mast and Jeff Meinecke. Parents Elaine Stika, Susan Hanni, and Katie Mast painted and provided artwork for the props.

The band performed at all of the home football games, gradually learning and adding on more of the show at each performance. September 29th, the junior high band students joined the high school band for the pre-game performance which included the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’, ‘School Song,’ other selections. 

 

‘Building special bonds and memories’

Dobbs said he enjoys watching the students’ hard work come to fruition each season: “It’s always satisfying to see things come from nothing at the beginning of the year and the gradual progress and to see everyone come together as the season works toward common goals,” he said. “The students are building special bonds and memories, and they see the payoff for the hard work that the season helps galvanize in them. The public sees what we do on Friday nights and Saturday, but all of the behind-the-scenes time and energy is what makes that happen.”

 

 Challenges

Dobbs said the marching band season’s themes present challenges to everyone involved: “We usually have some type of theme. This year, we really delved in because the theme was based on actual stories, the Grimm fairy tales. It was a real challenge, but gave us a lot of material.”

Dobbs said the most significant challenge involved telling the story visually.

“Our biggest challenge was to figure out how to tell the story in a visual way. That would spark in the audience what they already knew about the stories, and that was a real challenge for me to tell as much visually through props and costuming, and providing some of the story through the loudspeaker, but have the characters tell most of the stories.”

 

Music selection process

The theme extends throughout the duration of marching band season.

Dobbs said the final two or three home football games featured the full show, which includes originally composed music.

“The music we used was originally composed, but the style of the music and the melodies fit the mood,” Dobbs said. “Composers who put their music online, and I try to go to a lot of different sources.”

Dobbs visited the website of composer Luke McMillan, which is comprised of marching shows.

“We buy a license of it for the season; we rent the rights to it,” Dobbs explained. “Luke does shows for a lot of bands across the nation.”

 

Color Guard

The marching band color guard featured a routine created by a choreographer in Virginia.

“He recorded the movements and put it on YouTube, so color guard instructor Kim Lemkuhl could teach it to the students,” Dobbs said.

Senior trumpeter Megan Ferrie said, “The show really brought the band together in my opinion. We haven't done a themed or dark show before, so I think everyone was excited to take on the new adventure. I also had a lot of fun with my trumpet section, and making new memories with them during practices.” 

Sophomore Color Guard member Isabella Lehmkuhl said, “The Friday night football games have been some of the best memories, because that is when we get to see everything come together and we get to see our full show. It’s just a lot of fun to be performing under the lights.”

In addition to performing at home football games, the Crestwood Marching Band also appeared at two local parades: The Sweet Corn Days parade in Lime Springs and the Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest parade in Cresco.

 

Contests

Along with its performances at football games, the marching band attended three contests during the season: Sept. 23 the band traveled to Marion, Iowa for the Marion Marching Invitational, where they placed third in Class 3A out of seven bands. 

The weekend of Oct. 1, the band took part in the Algona Band Days Marching Contest in Algona, Iowa. Out of 11 bands, Crestwood took second place and the “Best Percussion” award. 

The final weekend brought the band to the Iowa High School Music Association State Marching Contest, on Oct. 7 in Waterloo, Iowa. Crestwood earned a Superior, Division “I” Rating in wet and muddy conditions.

Crestwood senior percussionist Brynn Bodermann said, “Getting second place and best percussion at Algona is my favorite memory. I believe we have worked hard for that and so it was nice to see it all pay off. I loved the show this year. It was fun to play and the interactions of different things were fun to do. I always love night band and the fun we have while still getting work done.”