3 Utica – Rome Area Schools Competing In State Field Band Championships

Three Utica-Rome area high school bands will be doing more than trick or treating this weekend.  New Hartford, RFA and Westmoreland will be at the New York State Field Band Championships.

Just like football and basketball, there's a season to field band competition.  It begins after labor day with schools competing for 8 weeks at various locations and culminates this Sunday at the Carrier Dome.  While that's the official season, work actually begins in January when the schools begin choosing their music for the year, arranging it and getting the proper permissions to perform their "Music In Motion."

While RFA is a relative "new comer" to the competition; (they've participated for the last 5 years), New Hartford and Westmoreland have brought home the trophy on more than one occasion.  Westmoreland won the Small School Class 3 title three years in a row 2011 through 2013.  They have since moved up to Class 2.  New Hartford also has 3 titles in Class 1, 2003, 2008 and 2014.

Best of luck to all three schools and big thank you to Westmoreland's Kristen Cutler, New Hartford's Marty Hollister and RFA's Jacob Meiss who all took time from their busy schedule to contribute to this article.