LG Band Hosting Big Event Amidst Contest Season

The La Grange High School marching band is always working hard, but is entering its busiest time of the year.

The band (which has advanced to the state contest each of the last two seasons) will perform at the Blinn Marching Festival this Saturday. Their prelims performance is at 3 p.m. at Cub Stadium in Brenham. Then, next Saturday, Oct, 3, the band is hosting “Battle at the Bluff: The Ed Lowes Legacy Marching Invitational.”

The event, which is open to the public, is named after the late LGISD band director Ed Lowes.

“From 1973 to 2005 Ed and his wife Ann Lowes built a culture centered on excellence, pride, and high standards both on and off the field,” the contest website states.

There will be 23 bands coming to Leopard Stadium to compete.

An army of volunteers from La Grange will be working to host the event. The La Grange band will perform in exhibition, followed by an exhibition performance by the band from University of the Incarnate Word - San Antonio. It is a two round format (prelims and finals). The event begins at 10 a.m. and will run all day. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.

Tickets must be purchased online (go to www.lgisd.net and click on ‘event tickets’) “Suprisingly for our first year, it is one of the largest small school contests happening on October 3,” said La Grange director of bands, Christopher Cooper. “We’re very excited for it and hope it will spark enough interest to bring at least a few community members out to see what the high school marching band scene is all about - at least for small schools.”

The contest is exclusively for Class 2A/3A/4A bands.

“I want to thank Ms. Ann Lowes Mueller, who allowed us to honor her late husband, Edward Lowes, in the naming of this event. Mr. Lowes was the longest serving director at LHS, and some of his former students are now parents of current band members. He has family members performing in our band at this event. I think it adds a layer of history and prestige to what we are doing by having him and his family involved,” Cooper said.

“We hope this event accomplishes several things for our students and our community. For our students, it’s an opportunity to perform for a large, appreciative audience. At a marching contest, the crowd is quiet during performances because band students and families understand the work that goes into what these students do. As the host band, our students will perform after the other bands in prelims, so they’ll have the largest audience of the day. There’s a real sense of pride and excitement that comes with performing in that slot as the host band.

“We also hope the event helps La Grange develop a deeper appreciation for marching band and the positive impact it can have on students. While the competition is serious, the atmosphere at a good marching contest is incredibly supportive. Directors and even parents share ideas, students watch other bands and get inspired, and it creates a larger sense of community beyond your school.

“Of course, the contest will provide financial support for our Booster Club, which will allow us to make some exciting enhancements to our students’ high school band experience.”