Westminster's Titan Marching Band Looks Forward to Busy Fall

The 112-member Westminster College Titan Marching Band has a busy fall schedule, including five home football games and four band festival competitions.

 "The band begins in Ohio at the Beaver Local Marching Band Festival Saturday, Sept, 10, at 7 p.m.," said Dr. R. Tad Greig, director of bands at Westminster College.  "The Beaver Local Band is directed by Westminster 2001 graduate Matthew Newman.  The junior high band director at Beaver is David Zaccari, also 2001 Westminster graduate and Shawn Taylor, a 2004 Westminster graduate, is the choir director."

 Westminster's marching band will travel to the Brentwood Marching Band Festival Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. and then back to the Lawrence County Marching Band Festival Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at Neshannock High School.  John Westcott, a 2003 band director at Union High School.

 "The final guest performance is at Girard High School in Erie on October 22," Greig said.  "Our band will be guest performers for a Lakeshore Marching Band Association Band Competition.  The director of bands at Girard is 2003 Westminster graduate Chris Dearbeck."

 The main show for the Titan Marching Band consists of a wide variety of music beginning with "Takin' It to the Streets," a Doobie Brothers classic.  The band then moves into a Latin/jazz style with "Sierra Sister."  The second half of the show is music from "Cirque du Soliel" feature "Atmadja" and "Incantation." 

 "As usual, the marching band will provide pre-game and halftime performances at all home Titan football games," Greig said.  The music is memorized and is combined with 28 pages of marching drill with over 1,400 steps learned during band camp this summer.

 "The drill movement on the field is very intricate, combining the sights and sounds into a pleasing performance.  Each year I challenge the band more with what I ask them to play and with the difficulty and intricacy of the marching drill, and each year these wonderful students meet and seek to surpass these challenges.  I am very proud of them, and how they represent themselves."

 Contact Greig at (724) 946-7279 or e-mail greigrt@westminster.edu for more information.

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