Madelyn Dupont
Marketing Director
Thirty-three high school marching bands and the largest Spirit of Northwestern band in history will march together for the 31st Classic on the Cane Marching Contest this Saturday.
Louisiana and Texas high school bands will be performing their halftime shows in front of six judges. The Spirit of Northwestern will perform for over 3,000 students at the end of the competition with an award ceremony as the finale.
Jeffrey Mathews, director of bands, said Classic on the Cane is a great event for people who enjoy marching bands and the spirit of competition. He also said it is a great recruitment opportunity for Northwestern State University.
“If I ask the members of the Spirit of Northwestern if they attended our marching contest during their high school years, over 80 percent will raise their hands,” Mathews said. “The impact that these students have on campus through their participation in band and their own recruiting efforts is immeasurable.”
Members of the Spirit of Northwestern have been practicing for two hours, three days a week in preparation for their performance.
Emily Landers, junior Spirit of Northwestern member, said she is excited to perform in Classic on the Cane for the third time.
“This is the performance that we work towards all season, so I’m excited to finally see all our hard work pay off and amaze the high school students” Landers said.
Kamryn Johnson, freshman Spirit of Northwestern member, has never attended or performed at Classic on the Cane, but other band members’ stories have set her expectations high.
“We’ve added a lot of cool things to the show, and I am excited to see some good bands,” said Johnson.
Classic on the Cane is Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. in Turpin Stadium. Admission is $5, and the concession stand is open all day. Spirit of Northwestern fans should be in the stands by 6:30 p.m. to see their performance.