In a field of 64 competing high school marching bands, The Franklin Band advanced to Finals and placed 12th place with their show “Lucy!” at the Bands of America (BOA) Indianapolis Super Regional at Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend. The preliminary round of the competition was held on Friday and Saturday. Franklin’s performance on Saturday brought the crowd to its feet, earning 3rd place in Class AAA and a spot among the top 14 scoring bands (regardless of class size) that advanced to Finals on Saturday night. Franklin’s score in Finals was second in Class AAA.
Writing on 24LiveBlog, Seth Bradtmueller wrote, “This homage to the classic sitcom I Love Lucy is straight up fun! The guard are all dressed as the classic character, and they really nail the mannerisms! I love the trombones and muted trumpets on Bizarro! The guard recreates the classic Chocolate Factory scene with guard rifles and it’s hilarious…. What a well thought out and fun show!!!”
Franklin’s band director, Jacob Campos, commented, “During the Cold War, civil unrest, and paranoia during the Red Scare of the 1950s, Lucille Ball in her relationship with Desi Arnaz somehow pushed through all of those barriers to, as Carol Burnett said, ‘help us all learn to laugh again.’ Pretty quickly we learned to laugh again while also working toward excellence. As we push forward toward Grand Nationals, we will strive to improve our practice and performance just like Lucille Ball did with her craft. I hope you can find a moment to see us and laugh with us along the way!”
The Franklin Band will host Halloween Spooktacular, a Musical Trick-or-Treat, in the stadium at Franklin High School on Thursday, October 28, from 5:45-7:00 p.m. Children are invited to dress up, take a frightfully fun walk through the instrument families, and collect candy! Follow us on Twitter @TheFranklinBand for any necessary updates regarding weather.
On November 4, Franklin will host its annual free Community Performance in the high school stadium at 7:30 p.m. This is a chance for the band to perform “Lucy!” and thank the Franklin community for its support, and for the community to wish the band well as they head to Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 12 and 13.
Winners of The Franklin Band’s Annual Cash Raffle will be announced during the Community Performance. Tickets are available now at https://thefranklinband.org/posts/fhs-band-raffle/ and cost $25 (or 5 for $100). Cash prizes will be given based on the number of tickets sold, ranging from $500 to $20,000. You must be 18 years old to buy a raffle ticket, but you do not need to be present to win. Proceeds from the raffle support all aspects of The Franklin Band program, including travel, props, uniforms, and equipment.
