From: Oklahoma, USA 
Director: Mr. Jeremy Parker  
Numbers: 230 
Colours: White, Black, Red 

Since its inception, Bixby Bands has been a cornerstone of its community for creating excellence and hardworking citizens.  In its recent time, Bixby Bands has won numerous state championships in both 5A, 6A-II and now 6A-I Divisions in the marching arts.   

Bixby continues to develop its musicians and ensembles around the best literature, professional-grade master classes and performances, and an ever-increasing level of the highest musicianship and excellence.  That is the Bixby Standard. 

The Pride of Bixby is composed of 230 high school performers in grades ranging from 9th to 12th and is directed by Jeremy W. Parker, Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music at Bixby Public Schools in Bixby, Oklahoma. 

From: Indiana, USA  
Director: Mr. Jay Gephart   
Numbers: 350 
Colours: Black, Gold, White 

Established in 1886, the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band has become an icon of Purdue University. This world-renowned band performs at each home football game and travels to concerts and festivals around the world, including China, Ireland, and Colombia.  

 Over 389 members strong, the band has plenty of performance opportunities for instrumentalists, percussionists, color guard members, dancers, and twirlers.  

 With a rich history of band “firsts,” innovation is key for the band which performs a new halftime show at every home game. Purdue was the first marching band in the nation to break military ranks on the football field to form a letter (the Block “P”).Since then the Block “P” has been formed around the world by band members, including on top of Mount Fuji, at the Grand Canyon, on the Great Wall of China and underwater in Hawaii.  

 Directed by Jay S. Gephart, the 389-member band stands as the largest in the Big 10 and one of the largest in the nation. 

FIRSTS  

• 1907 – First band to break military ranks to create a formation of any kind (the Block P)  

• 1919 – First band to carry the colors of all the Big Ten schools.  

• 1919 – First band to become an annual part of the Indy 500 race  

• 1920 – First band to play opposing school’s fight song  

• 1921 – First band to create an oversized bass drum  

• 1935 – First band to perform a halftime show with lights on their instruments and uniforms  

• 1954 – First band to create nationwide recognition for its featured twirlers  

• 1963 – First college band to have members invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall  

• 1969 – First marching band alumnus to walk on the moon (Neil Armstrong)  

• 1995 – First university without a music school to win the Sudler Trophy  

• 2008 – First college marching band invited by Ministry of Culture to perform in China  

• 2010 – First Big Ten band to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 

 The Purdue Big Bass Drum  

The drum’s size was dictated by the size of animal skins used as the original drum heads.  

 A specific railway baggage car was obtained from the New York Central Railway to transport the drum when it was first made. The band traveled by train in those days.  

 The “World’s Largest Drum” title was awarded to Purdue when the University of Texas failed to complete a contest between Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity brothers. Both schools were to bring their drums to the national convention, but the Longhorns did not show up.  

 Seven members make up the Big Bass Drum Crew. They are selected after an audition process and they serve a yearlong term.  

 Selection criteria: - Athletic standards that mirror the ROTC physical fitness standards. - Drum handling trials such as running, spins, stopping, and steering of the drum. - Public relations interviews which prepare crew members for media insights pertaining to the drum’s history. - Attitude check! Crew members are expected to work together to represent the band and Purdue University in a first-class manner.  

 The original carriage of the drum used bicycle tires, which easily caught on railroads and pot holes. Today the tires are constructed from Ford Model A tires.  

 In 1937, Horner Motor Company donated the first commercial pick-up truck. Today, Tom Sibbitt Chevrolet (from Greensburg, IN) donates the truck to move the drum.  

 In 2013, the drum made its first international trip to Ireland for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 

From: Oklahoma, USA  
Director: Chris Harris 
Numbers: 240 
Colours: Black, Red 

The Pride of Owasso is a public school band at Owasso High School, the 4th largest high school in the state of Oklahoma, United States.  

Students begin their musical training in Grade 6 and begin marching band performance in Grade 9.  

The Owasso Band program’s commitment is to help children develop life skills through the art of music. Among these skills are discipline, citizenship, responsibility, and leadership.  

We also hope to create a love and understanding of music through performance, preferably top-notch performance, which we will last a lifetime.  

The PRIDE of Owasso has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and most recently performed for the 6th time in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2020 in Pasadena, California.  The PRIDE of Owasso has also accepted Tournament of Roses Parade invitations in 1985, 1989, 1995, 2004 and 2011.  

 In March of 2014, the PRIDE of Owasso was named “Best Overall Band” in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.  The PRIDE of Owasso has been a finalist at Bands of America Regionals in Arlington, San Antonio, Atlanta and Las Vegas and St. Louis and has reached the Bands of America Grand National Finals in 2005 and 2011.

From: Dublin 
Director: Mr Neal Christopher 
Numbers: 80 
Colours: Red, White and Black  

33rd Time performing in Dublin Parade, a testament to the magnificent musical work of their long-standing Director Mr. Vincent Dolan, who retired in 2022 after 37 years at the helm.  He is succeeded by Mr Neal Christopher and we wish Neal all the best in his new role as director.  

Neal initially joined the Clondalkin Youth Band 25 years ago to teach drums after being approached by Vincent, which proved to be a more special night than he could have imagined, as it was the night that he met his wife, Tara.  “The night I started a girl had started teaching the colour guard flags,” says Neal. “I knew who she was and I had met her before about ten or fifteen years beforehand and we met again through the band. We are now married, and we have three kids who are all in the band as well.  “The band has been a huge part of our lives and now it is a big part of our family life and the bigger family that we have in Clondalkin.”  

Proud of their Clondalkin roots they will parade in their own Clondalkin Parade later today and will then appear at the Lucan Parade.  On Sunday they travel to Limerick for the International Band Competition.  

A lively band who travel all over Europe to festivals and competitions.

From: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA 
Director: Jacob Bohan 
Numbers: 65-70 
Colours: Red, White, Black 

The Charlotte Catholic High School Band has gained notable recognition for its recent performances. In 2015, the band traveled to Ireland where they competed in the International Marching Band Competition in Limerick, Ireland and the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland. The band was successful in both parades being named the Best International Parade in Limerick, and the Best Overall Band in Dublin.  

The bands of Charlotte Catholic are directed by native Charlottean Jacob Bohan. Mr. Bohan received his Bachelor of Arts in Instrumental Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2019, where he studied Jazz, Orchestral, and Latin Percussion with internationally renowned principal percussionist of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra; Rick Dior. Since joining Charlotte Catholic High School in 2020, Mr. Bohan has had the pleasure of leading students in various artistic endeavors; most notably bringing home perfect scores at local band competitions in the spring of 2022. Mr. Bohan strives to live a busy musical life, as he performs regularly in the city of Charlotte as both a jazz musician and concert percussionist. 

From: Florida 
Director: Jon Eckman 
Numbers: 120 

Bartow High School started their band program in January of 1938. The Bartow High School Band has participated in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, performed in the Apple Blossom festival, the grand opening of Walt Disney World, performed in the Atlanta Peach Bowl, New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, National Veterans Day parade, Walt Disney World Magic Music Days, New Orleans, Nashville Tennessee. The band was nominated by the Florida Department of Education and the Governors to represent the state Florida in the National Memorial Day Parade. In the 2016, the band commissioned the concert band work Mr. Bartow March composed by Larry Clark. Most recently, the band was one of four chosen internationally to perform at the Chicago International Music Festival. At this performance, the band had the privilege to perform on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra stage and work with composer Mark Camphouse. The Polk County School District which the Bartow High School is a part of was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts education Network and National School Boards Association Award for their support of the arts in education. Bartow Senior offers a well-rounded Fine Arts Program including theater, Chorus, Orchestra, Stings, and Band. The band program includes, Jazz Band, three concert Bands, percussion studies, marching band, and dance. Bartow Senior offers a well-rounded Fine Arts Program including theater, Chorus, Orchestra, Stings, and Band. The band program includes, Jazz Band, three concert Bands, percussion studies, marching band, and dance. The bands at Bartow Senior have consistently earned superior ratings at Concert, Marching, and State MPA’s. On multiple occasions, the Wind Symphony has have received the highest honor bestowed to a band program in the state of Florida, known as the Otto J. Kraushaar Award. To receive the Otto Kraushaar the band must reactive straight superior ratings at every event of the course of the entire school year. The Bartow Senior Wind Symphony consists of students from Bartow Senior, the International Baccalaureate School, and Summerlin Academy.