Lincoln-Way North Marching Phoenix Finish in Top 6 at Regional Showdown

The Lincoln-Way North Marching Phoenix enjoyed a successful weekend by earning 6th overall during the Bands of America Regional competition.

The 110-strong Marching Phoenix band competed at the Bands of America Regional contest in Dayton, Ohio and finished in the top 10 bands of the preliminary performances to earn a spot to perform at finals on Saturday, September 27.

A total of twenty-seven bands from New York, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois competed in the regional contest. The bands competed in 4 classes ranging from class 3A, to Class 3AAAA, with approximately 2,700 students participating in the regional contest.

In addition, the Lincoln-Way North Marching Phoenix took home the caption award for Outstanding Visual Effect in Class 3A.

“I’m so proud of the production of this year’s Marching Phoenix. Our students have started to believe in their production and perform it at a higher level. ‘Returning Home’ is a large production with more moving parts and much more difficulty than we have been used to. It’s quite a challenge for both students and staff alike, but we’re really enjoying the product,” said Kirk Hickman, Director of Bands for L-W North High School.

“It was amazing to hear the crowd response from not just our traveling parent/fan base, but the fans of Bands of America. Our music booster/parent support group is incredible, we could not do anything we do without their help,” Hickman added.

The Lincoln-Way North Marching Phoenix 2014 drum majors are Nora Ward and Nikki Wiltjer.

The title of the Marching Phoenix 2014 show is “Returning Home.” The music will feature “Appalachian Morning” by Robert Sheldon, “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar, “Althea” by The Grateful Dead, and “American Gothic, mvt. lll: Pitchfork” by Michael Daugherty. Wind music is arranged by Don Hill, percussion arranged by Kirk Hickman, drill design by Maney Thompson, and show design by Alan Spaeth.

“The new show is a day in an Appalachian home. It starts with waking up in the morning, working and playing, sitting down for a picnic, returning home to play and going to bed. We could not put this production on without our exceptional Marching Phoenix parents. They have done such a fantastic job creating props that transport the audience into an Appalachian village, that everyone needs to see the show,” stated Hickman.

The next competition for the Marching Phoenix is the state contest at Illinois State University on October 11.

The Marching Phoenix also performs their competitive show during half time at each home football game.