Dartmouth band wins 4th consecutive national championship

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News, marching band

This article originally appeared in the November 11, 2019 edition of the Standard Times. To read the original article, please click here. 

It was a perfect night.

The Dartmouth High School Marching Band won its fourth consecutive national championships in the U.S. Band Association’s Open Group V competition Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

They tied for the highest score ever recorded by any band in the circuit with a score of 98.575, set in 2008.

And they did it at their band director, Bill Kingsland’s, final show as he is retiring in June.

Russ Benoit, president of Dartmouth School Music Association, the band’s support group, was at the championships and said there were some anxious moments until the final scores were read. They knew Dartmouth did well. They didn’t know how well.

Southington, Ct., High School came in second with a score of 95.375; followed by Passaic, N.J., High School, 95.175; and Trumbull, Ct., High School, 95.150, according to the Youth Education in the Arts website.

“When they announced the second place winners, we knew the kids had won,” Benoit said. “When they said, 98 (DHS’s final score of 98.575), we were completely blown away with how high the score was.”

Benoit’s son Jacob, an eighth grader, is in band’s drum line. His daughter was in the band and is now going to college.

“It’s such an honor to see it. We know how hard they work,” he said. “It was such a wonderful evening.”

Dartmouth parents poured out of the stands and hugged and celebrated with their children, he said. Later, they carried the huge trophy to bus.

“It was truly an amazing sight,” he said.

The fact that it was Kingsland’s last show was on on everyone’s mind, Benoit said. “They wanted to win it for ‘BK.’ (Kingsland’s nickname). They wanted to do it for him,” Benoit said.

“They wanted to show him how much love and respect they have for him by putting on the best show possible.”

The name of this year’s show was “The Witching Hour,” he said.

The band and color guard enjoyed some rest and relaxation Sunday and received a hero’s welcome with an escort by the police and fire departments with sirens blaring from Interstate 195 where they met the buses to Dartmouth High School.

On Monday, they marched in New Bedford’s Veterans Day Parade.

“That will be the last one for me,” Kingsland said of the U.S. Bands competition when he spoke with a reporter outside New Bedford’s main library following Monday’s parade. “It was good, really good. Good for the kids, good for the town.”

The band had to fight through the cold Saturday night on the field of MetLife Stadium and remain focused on their music and routines, he said. He offered special thanks to Tom Aungst, Mike Rayner, Tyler Kingsland, his son, and Addison Kaeterle, for their help this year.

Color guard, percussion perform at high school home show

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News, Indoor colorguard, Indoor percussion

This article originally appeared in the February 23, 2020 edition of Dartmouth Week. To read the original article and view photos from the event, please click here.

Flags were flying and drumbeats echoed through Dartmouth High School on Saturday as groups from all over New England came to participate in the annual New England Scholastic Band Association show.

39 color guard and indoor percussion teams — from independent groups to schools from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire — took part in the seven-hour show on February 22.

It was the first NESBA show before the finals on April 4.

The event is hosted by the Dartmouth School Music Association.

“We’re the support group for all of the schools, all of the music groups,” said DSMA president Russ Benoit.

“Dartmouth is known for how great its music department is,” he noted. “And some of the staff come from world-class drum groups and other music groups.”

The groups perform to popular music — anything from Britney Spears to the Police — as well as original compositions.

“Some groups will use music that their own instructors wrote, so you get a combination,” Benoit said. “Every now and again you’ll hear a snippet of something you recognize. It’s a lot of fun.”

The event serves to raise funds for DSMA and the Dartmouth music program. 

“We need to raise about $100,000 a year between all of the groups,” said Benoit. 

The funds are used for everything from maintaining the trucks used to send kids and equipment to competitions, to props and flags, music rights, and staff stipends for those coming from outside the school system.

Supporters from all over the region trickled in and out between each performance throughout the day, filling the gym stands and cheering as each team came out to perform for the judges.

Jennifer Connolly of Dartmouth came to watch her twin daughters in the junior varsity color guard. “I’m very excited,” she said. “I’m so happy for them. They’re all nervous…but they know to just have fun. That’s what it’s about.”

Each performance had its own theme. Dartmouth’s Junior Varsity Color Guard performed “Bewitched,” featuring witches swooping through a set of dark woods, while the Varsity Color Guard’s theme was “Jazz’D”, with bright colors and flashy abstract patterns.

This year’s theme for the Indoor Percussion is called “The Web,” and the performance featured dancing spiders and performers caught in a spider web as well as tablets, screens, and icons from famous social media outlets.

Although all three teams gave much-praised performances, Dartmouth’s Indoor Percussion was a knockout, receiving a standing ovation and earning the second-highest score of any percussion team that day. 

It came second only to Spirit Winter Percussion, an independent group that includes young adults as well as children.

“I like the energy that Dartmouth brings,” said resident Liza Sousa, who was looking forward to watching her 15-year-old daughter Mia Amaral play the rack in the performance.

“She likes the whole camaraderie, and how they always aim to be better, and the support they get from the teachers and instructors,” she added. “It’s so enriching to her in all areas.”

“So far so good,” said Dartmouth School Committee member John Nunes of the show. “Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves, which is what it’s all about.”

“I think our kids did very well,” noted Music Director Bill Kingsland. “A world class group and an 86 at their first show — that’s scoring pretty high right out of the blocks.”

Dartmouth High student Alexander Le played the snare drum during the show, which he said went “really great”. 

The senior said the group has been practicing about 20 hours per week since December to prepare.

“There were a lot of applauses that we weren’t expecting, and that’s usually what gives us energy throughout the whole show and pushes us to the finish,” he said with a smile.

Nancy Farias came to see her grandson Jake Meatty, who plays the drums. 

She was thrilled with the performances. “I just like to see the young people doing something with their lives,” she said.

“I saw quite a few of [the performances], and I thought Dartmouth was the best,” she added.