Marching Band
This year’s band consists of around 235 outstanding members! With many fine musicians and a great group of leaders, our potential for success is high! This year's band is under the direction of field commanders Connor Chaffin, Xander Hageman, Abrielle MacConnell, and Kora Roberts.
This year’s show is entitled "Danzón." It is a musical and visual representation that will focus on many interesting Latin styles of music while showcasing visual elements of this theme. The main musical themes are Toreador from Cirque du Soleil’s Totem, Time to Say Goodbye as made famous by singer Andrea Bocelli, and Tango de Amor from the musical adaptation of The Addams Family. We are excited for this show and know it will be a fun and unique experience for the students and our audiences. While still very "Grove City," in its form and flow, we are excited at some of the new possibilities music of this style brings! As usual, many fun stand tunes are also in the repertoire to bring the football crowds to life and excite the Grove City Greyhounds (GO DAWGS) to victory!
The Grove City High School Marching Band has won over 100 grand champion awards over the last twenty-five years in OMEA competitions as well as regional and national events. Accomplishments this past season include four OMEA Contest Grand Champions, straight superior ratings at OMEA State Marching Band Contest, straight superior ratings at District and State Concert Band Contests with all three concert bands, and many auxiliary awards during both the fall and winter season.
In past years, our distinguished band program has been seen across the nation at many events: the 2023 trip to Florida, Disney, and Universal, the 2022 Chicago St. Patrick’s Parade, Symphonic Band at the 2021 Ohio Band Director’s Clinic and 2024 and 2018 OMEA Professional Development Conference, and the 2017, 2000, and 1990 Tournament of Roses Parades. And of course our upcoming trip to Hawaii in March!
Symphonic & Concert Bands
The concert band program consists of four ability based ensembles and music is selected based on each group; Blue Band, Crimson Band, Concert Band I, and Symphonic Band. The Symphonic Band has consistently received superior ratings at OMEA State Concert Band Contest in Class AA since the inception of state contest in 1970 and the other bands have received superior ratings at all district events and superior or excellent ratings at state contest.
Highlights for the Symphonic Band:
- Performed at the 50th Anniversary of the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois on December 19, 1996.
- Invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic again in 2002.
- Performed at the 1993, 2001, 2014, and 2018 OMEA State Convention and was the clinician band for the composer Francis McBeth at the 1995 OMEA State Convention, as well as for Mark Kelly in 1989.
- Guest band for the Directors' Clinic at Miami University with Donald Hunsburger of the Eastman School of Music and H. Robert Reynolds
from the University of Michigan.
Photo by Mark Bungart
Jazz Band
The Jazz Band was the Grand Champion Jazz Band of the Fiesta-Val International Band Contest held in Toronto, Canada in May 1995 and again in May 1996 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The band received Outstanding Jazz Band Awards in 1993, 1994 and 1997 at Music In the Parks competitions.