Irondale band enlivens Big Cat Stadium

It was a joy to see a high school marching band fill Big Cat Stadium Friday for an exhibition. These musicians were from the Twin Cities area, so the pastoral atmosphere of Morris must have seemed therapeutic to them. At least that's my bias.

We may be rural but we boast two of the most awe-inspiring man-made things you'll see anywhere: our wind turbines. Those magnificent structures provided the backdrop for the Friday night event. People filed into the big Cat Stadium bleachers to view something other than football.

We say "hats off" to these student musicians who work so hard to create something dynamic.

I didn't notice that many Morris faces in the audience. I assume many of the people were here from the band's home which is Irondale High School. It seems this performance event was promoted in a hurried way with lots of word of mouth and institutional emails.

The late starting time of 8:30 p.m. might have held down turnout. But considering the intense heat of late, the 8:30 start was probably justified. These days that's only a half hour or so before my bedtime.

We in Morris don't get exposed much to marching band music anymore. This institution, once a staple of West Central Minnesota parades, has gotten whittled down through the years. Kudos to the Hancock school which organizes its musicians for a July 4 performance every year. They do surprisingly well considering how limited their commitments are.

Years ago I'd tap people on the shoulder and suggest it'd be nice to have the Hancock band come over here and play in the Prairie Pioneer Days parade. What great spice that band would provide. I was told it would be too hard for all those kids to keep setting aside time for this as the summer progressed. But what a wonderful gesture it would be on behalf of the Hancock community, so we could all realize, lest there be any doubt, those kids excel on more levels than sports!

Being at Big Cat Stadium reminded me that it's the grandiose home for our football teams. It was so nice to see kids out on that field doing something so much healthier than playing football or hockey.

I played in the Morris High School marching band in the early 1970s. The institution was still pretty strong then. Comparing that experience to what I viewed Friday, I was reminded of how I've aged. We can assume musical tastes are going to change from one generation to the next. We never thought of using electronic amplification for anything.

You might wonder: With so many brass instruments out there, why on earth do we need electronics? Old fuddy-duddies like me always ask stupid questions, I guess.

When I was a kid, our elders winced at "Band on the Run" with Paul McCartney. If you went out to the bowling alley, you'd hear McCartney's "Jet" played over and over on the jukebox.

As the music unfolded Friday night at Big Cat Stadium, I realized I had become one of those clueless elders. I didn't like it at all, but that's just me. The kids were "into it" and that's all that matters. Some of the electronically projected sounds were loud and irritating to me. The music sounded decidedly "modern" and edgy. Well, good for them. They doubtless win awards doing this.

We left early so I can't make sweeping judgments. Maybe they played more conventional stuff later. What I heard struck me as just weird. It's a far cry from when our MHS band would play "All the Things You Are" as the Homecoming queen was brought out each fall. Music with a melody! No amplifiers.

Big Cat Stadium was a perfect place to appreciate a spectacle like what was presented Friday. I should mention these kids weren't literally "marching" as in a parade, though they were certainly in motion much of the time. This wasn't like marching down the street with a drum major like Scott Groth (Class of '71) leading the way. I assume the Irondale band does this sort of thing. But this outstanding unit bills itself as a "competitive field show band."
The Marching Knights compete in Minnesota and Iowa and in the Super Regional competition in St. Louis MO where last year's show,"How to survive a zombie attack," took eighth out of 51 bands in competition. Wow!

Even though the band's musical tastes go over my head, I must bestow an A-plus. The Knights' stay in Morris was a deliberate effort to "get out of town" for a week to focus on learning and to refine the competitive field show they present in the fall. This is year 2 for Irondale to come here. They seem fully pleased and let's keep the welcome mat out!

A little more background: The Irondale Marching Knights involve more than 110 members and represent Mounds View School District #621. Irondale High serves Arden Hills, Mounds View, New Brighton and Shoreview.

The Knights strive for excellence in music and marching through hard work, dedication and the pursuit of quality performance. The program provides opportunities for members to develop leadership, teamwork, interpersonal growth, goal-setting, time management and self-discipline.

A hearty congratulations to this enterprise.

Football will soon be moving back into Big Cat Stadium, and the sport seems now under a cloud because of the rapid awareness in the public of the often horrific health consequences of the sport.

"Let there be music" instead.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com