Southwestern College will host “The Mound of Sound Marching Festival” on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., inside Richard L. Jantz Stadium. The event is open to the public and there is no admission charge.
The event is approved by the Kansas State High School Activities Association and the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association.
Over 1,100 students from 14 schools will be participating.  Each school will compete in one of four classes, which are determined by band size, not school classification.  

Schools participating and time of performance include: 

• Class 1 - Dexter (10:10 a.m.) and Sedan (10:30 a.m.)
• Class 2 – Wichita Collegiate (10 a.m.), Pratt (10:50 a.m.), Winfield (11:10 a.m.), and Riverton (11:30 a.m.)
• Class 3 – Haven (11:50 a.m.), Great Bend (12:30 p.m.), Rose Hill (12:40 p.m.), Arkansas City (1 p.m.), and Ponca City (1:20 p.m.)
• Class 4 – Liberal (1:40 p.m.), Enid, (2 p.m.), and Independence (2:20 p.m.)

Awards will be given for Best In Class, Outstanding Drum Major, Outstanding Color Guard, Outstanding Percussion, Overall Second Runner-Up, Overall Runner Up, and Grand Champion.  

According to Jeremy Kirk, assistant professor of music at Southwestern College, the feedback given is intended to encourage participating bands to make improvements in their marching and music for future performances at home and other festivals.  

“I am very excited about our second annual ‘Mound of Sound Marching Festival’ and the opportunity to offer these students and programs a very rewarding educational experience,” Kirk says.  “We have an all-star panel of adjudicators that will provide valuable feedback that helps support the growth of students’ music education.”