15 September 2002 East Tartan Regiment Successful at Lancaster Amid much skepticism, the East Tartan Regiment proved this Saturday that the 2002 East band would maintain the level of excellence for which it has been known for nearly a decade. In close competition, the band was awarded Third Place Class C (also coming in at Third Place Overall), as well as Best Percussion, Class C (also scoring highest overall). Though no award was given, East's auxiliary was second in class and overall, being outscored by Green High School Marching Band by .5. Once the schedule for Lancaster's Band of Gold Invitational was released, speculation stirred that the competition would be a showcase of Ohio's best Class C bands. This was indeed the case Saturday. In close and exciting competition, the East band received Third in Class C, while another perennially amazing Class C band--not to mention long time friend of the East Band--Waterford received Second in Class C. One of the most recent emerging Class C bands, and East's local friend, Green took the First Place Class C award with their fantastic performance. One of the amazing things about the competition was that the three placing Class C bands were also the top three bands overall. All three bands field less than 50 members (Waterford even less than 40), and yet, they were able to prove to the judges, amid some great early season performances from the larger bands, that any band, regardless of size, can be worthy of excellence. It just helps prove the old East Tartan Regiment maxim that "size matters not", and East is proud to be able to share in proving this with two of its longtime friends on the scene. On another note, as far as this website knows, Saturday was Green High School's very first Grand Champion award in recent memory, and possibly in their history. The East Band is extremely proud, and extends unequivocal congratulations to Green on its great honor. This webmaster remembers, as a member, the first time East received a Grand Championship after a drought of a decade (in 1995); East understands the thrill of your honor and shares in your happiness! Green has been building on this for many years, and is now finally seeing the rewards from its hard work and perseverance. Congratulations Green The band would also like to congratulate Waterford on their amazing performance Saturday. Sometimes Waterford has been overlooked in favor of East as the premiere small band in the region, for whatever reasons. This should never be the case, since for nearly as long as East has been seeing success, Waterford has also been helping to break down the stereotypes placed on small Class C bands with their successes in central and southeast Ohio. As always, it was a pleasure to once again see you continuing your legacy. Congratulations Waterford For obvious reasons, the East Tartan Regiment is happy to see the small bands come out on top of the overall competition, but this is not to say that the larger bands were at all unworthy or even on a lower level. As the performances and scores prove, many of these bands were on a comparable level, and just as able to exhibit the artistry required for a great field show. The East Band congratulates all bands that competed in the Lancaster contest! Every one of you made 2002's show a memorable one. Congratulations Bands |