Perry High School’s “Blue Brigade” Marching Band has their first competition this Saturday in Urbandale, and if you ask any returning members, they’ll tell you things have moved more smoothly this year compared to last.
The biggest reason for that is it’s now their second year under Band Director Brad Sparks. Sparks feels that with a whole year to get to know and teach the students, he has a better handle on how best to approach each of them musically. “This year has been so much better! Just like connecting with the kids and stuff, we’ve got a year under our belts. There’s not that getting to know you kind of phase, other than with the 9th graders. But I mean, we had all met through sometimes I work with the 8th graders before they come up here a little bit. But everything has been way smoother this year than last year for sure.”
He’s excited to present their competitive show this year, titled “The Forest Through the Trees,” which he helped create with a friend of his who composes marching band music. The “Blue Brigade” performed two of three movements at halftime of the most recent home varsity football game, and Sparks is hopeful to have all three movements ready to perform by Saturday. At the very least, he says they’ll be playing all three. The competition is at Urbandale High School, and Perry is scheduled to perform at approximately 6:35 p.m.
The event is open to the public, and there is a small fee to attend. To learn more about the “Blue Brigade,” click the link below to listen to the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Sparks and the band’s drum majors Allie Taggart and Adriana Eastman.