Prospect's Knights get their marching orders for St. Louis

Prospect High School's Marching Knights got the news they were waiting for Saturday: They advanced to the finals of the Bands of America Super Regional Marching Band Competition in St. Louis.

After performing in the preliminaries Friday, they emerged as one of the top 14 bands in a field of 50 that came from 11 states, earning a chance to perform again Saturday night in the final round.

Specifically, they finished second in the large school division, behind Broken Arrow High School from Broken Arrow, Okla., last year's national champion.

The Super Regional competition was not a qualifier, however, for Band of America's national championship, scheduled for November in Indianapolis. Regional events are complete championships in their own right, officials say.

"We're really, really excited," Prospect band director Chris Barnum said. "There are some really talented bands here, so we're thrilled to be in the top group."

Broken Arrow and many of the other top bands used a variety of large props to enhance their shows, but Prospect instead relied on their tight musicianship, color guard and marching drill across the field to state their case.

"We can't worry about what everyone else is doing, we can only do what we do," Barnum said. "There's an old saying in our activity that's true, that 'there's no defense in marching band.'"

Barnum conceded his student musicians did have to make some adjustments for performing inside the Edward Jones Dome after doing all of the previous shows in outdoor stadiums.

"The listening environment is totally different," Barnum said, adding that he counseled his students to tune out the echo and instead concentrate on their own playing."

The Knights' award-winning show offers a big enough sound all on its own, powered by the 180 band members.

Called "Marching Metamorphosis," it features rousing marches, from Sousa to Tchaikovsky, but is presented in a more contemporary way.