The Dragons will be marching all over Detroit’s Ford Field on Saturday.
No, the football team won’t be on hand, just the band, as they participate in the Michigan Competing Band Association’s State Championships.
Lake Orion qualified in third place among the ten qualifying bands in Flight I (schools with 1,782 students or more), thanks, in large part, to their performance at the Huron Valley competition held last weekend at Lakeland High School.
The team’s score of 82.40 was the second highest in all of MCBA Flight I competition this season, as they edged South Lyon for first place.
It was also more nine points higher than their score just a week earlier.
‘Nine points at this time of the year is hard to do,? said director Michael Steele.
Steele added that the score was five points higher than any the band has ever received.
The performance sets the stage for what should be an exciting MCBA final this weekend.
Flight I competition begins at 1:10 p.m., with the Dragons taking the field at 2:55 p.m.
They’ll be followed by South Lyon and Plymouth-Canton, the two bands that finished higher in the Championship Averaged Scores (CAS).
The CAS is the average of a band’s two highest scores over the course of the season.
This year, for the first time, performance order in the championship is based on reverse order in the CAS. Championship order had previously been determined by a random draw.
Steele, whose band is practicing every night this week in preparation for the state finals, said his expectations are not based on the final standings.
‘As a teacher, I try not to put out any expectations, other than ‘Let’s put out a good DVD,?? he said, adding that scores are simply one result of a good performance.
The band placed sixth at the finals in 2004 and eighth one year ago, but both of those competitions were held at the Silverdome. This marks the first year the bands will compete at Ford Field.
Spectators are encouraged to arrive early, as parking could be at a premium with a possible baseball game scheduled across the street later in the evening.
The band will no doubt be there early, as Steele said this year’s company has been extremely dedicated.
‘A lot came together because the kids got into the music and into the show,? he said.
The band went to Camp Hayo-went-ha, near Torch Lake, for the first time this August, and Steele said things just took off from there.
Their musical program is ‘Facing Rage,? with the music of Goldenthal, Turrin, Davis and Silvestri all arranged by Jonathan Ovalle.
For Saturday’s performance times or ticket information, visit the MCBA online at www.MichCompBand.org.