Ridge Marching Band Wins Yamaha Cup Competition

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Ridge High School Marching Band started off the 2021 season on a high note by earning a first-place win in its category in USBands’ prestigious Yamaha Cup competition on Oct. 2 at MetLife Stadium.

"Lots of staff and students are involved and it's a really great opportunity for our kids. It was nice they had such a great result over the weekend. Congratulations," said Bernards Township School Superintendent Nick Markarian.

Ridge's show, "Conquering Wonderland," swept top honors in the group 3-A category by winning all Caption Awards, including Best Music, Best Visual, Best Overall Effect, Best Percussion, and Best Color Guard.

Overall the Ridge's marching band achieved a higher score than bands both below and above their size, said Markarian.

As a group, they placed higher than 38 of the 44 bands in the competition.

"The students have been working so hard since August to put this show together, and winning the Yamaha Cup and all of the Caption Awards is such an incredible honor. The entire staff was delighted to see it all come together. We are so proud of our students and we are excited to see them continue to excel for the rest of the season," said Ridge Marching Band Director Clay Beyert.

The Yamaha Cup win was not the band's first success of the season, however. Ridge Marching Band also won first place in class AAA at the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA) inaugural marching competition on Sept. 25, hosted by Scotch-Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band. Ridge Marching Band also won Caption Awards in that competition for Best Music and Best Visual.

For more information about Ridge Marching Band, visit ridgemarchingband.com.

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