High School Marching Band Takes First in Allendale

The Fair Lawn High School Marching Band is on a (drum) roll.

The nationally-ranked Cutters took home first place and all caption awards in their third competition of the year on Oct. 2 in Allendale, N.J. It’s the band’s second first-place finish of the young season.

The talented 97-student ensemble opened the marching season Sept. 17 with a first place finish at the United States Scholastic Band Association contest .

Band Director Paul Kafer said the group practices and performs together an average of 35-40 hours per week.

“From early mornings to late evenings, at rehearsals and performances, the students combine passion with hard work and continue to earn accolades,” he said. “It’s a very exciting season.”

The marching band will travel to Ewing, N.J. on Sunday for the USSBA Central New Jersey Regional.

Subsequent competitions include:

• Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway, N.J. on Oct. 22
• The USSBA NJ State Championships - Open Class in Old Bridge, N.J. on Nov. 5
• The USSBA National Championship Open Class in Annapolis, Md. on Nov. 12

Over the past decade, the FLHS Marching Band and Color Guard have never finished below 13^thnationally, and have earned six straight invitations to the United States National Marching Band Championships.