photos courtesy of the Ridgewood High School Marching Band
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, on Sunday October 2nd the Ridgewood High School Marching Band didn’t let a few mishaps get in their way . The Band Buses failed to show , leading to a 20 car parent caravan to Randolph HS (45 min). Then a quick unloading of the trucks, no time for a warm up and right onto the field , just when it started to really rain!
Despite all that ,Ridgewood placed 3rd place with a 78.2 in a great grouping of bands at the NJMBDA Randolph HS competition.
photo courtesy of the Ridgewood High School Marching Band
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood High School Marching Band on a 5th place finish at USBands Nationals, winning a caption award for BEST MUSIC!!! Great way to finish the season!
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, October 21, the Ridgewood High School Marching Band competed at Ridge High School as part of the USBands competition circuit. This was the band’s fourth competition, and they were awarded first place in group 5A with a score of 89.475, receiving the highest score in Visual, Overall Effect, and Color Guard. The band not only placed first in their respective group, but also amongst every band there, winning “Best in Show.”
Ridgewood NJ, The district has been notified that Ridgewood High School Marching Band Director John Luckenbill has won Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award.
Mr. Luckenbill is one of 50 national recipients of the national non-profit organization’s coveted award, presented to coaches who strive to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. “John helps his team win in competitions and in life,” said Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) founder and CEO Jim Thompson. ““By creating a positive, character-building youth sports experience and serving as a Double-Goal Coach, John helps youth develop into better athletes and better people.”
Mr. Luckenbill leads Ridgewood High School’s (RHS) Marching Band program using five principles or “stars,” as reflected on the long-standing adornments of the band’s uniforms: Trust, Pride, Leadership, Respect and Unity. The stars now serve as the basis for Luckenbill’s approach to teaching life lessons. “We have weekly discussions,” he explained. “We pick a star and talk about what it means to us in marching band and elsewhere in life.”
Another key to the band’s success is Mr. Luckenbill’s mantra: Control what you can control. “The longer I’m here, the more they embrace that motto,” he said. “With judges and everything else, there is only so much you can control, but our marching band members know that they control the amount of effort they put in, and when they put in the right effort, good things happen.” Mr. Luckenbill has taught at RHS and directed the Marching Band for five years.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Mr. Luckenbill is now finishing his Master’s Degree in Music Education at Kent State University. He was nominated for the PCA award by a band parent who spearheaded the effort, gathering letters of recommendation and other required documentation. The Double-Goal award includes a $200 prize, certificate and national mention.
Ridgewood High School Marching Band takes second at nationals
NOVEMBER 21, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band, shown here during a recent competition at MetLife Stadium, finished in second place at the recent National Championships.
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band captured second place in the USBands National Championships, which took place earlier this month in Allentown, Pa.
The squad, under the direction of John Luckenbill, took second with a score of 96.050 in the Group IVA competition. The band was also awarded “The Cadets Award of Excellence” in recognition of its achievement in Creativity, Performance and Overall Effect.
With the award-winning performance at Nationals, the band completes its competition season, which was filled with several highlights.
On Oct. 18, the band performed at Rutgers University for USBands NJ State Championships, placing third out of 13 bands, and winning the caption award for Best Visual. The RHS Marching Band also took third out of 13 bands the USBands Yamaha Cup, held at MetLife Stadium, on Nov. 1.
RHS took first place at Pequannock High School, winning the award for Best Music; first at JP Stevens High School, sweeping the caption awards for Best Music, Best Visual, and Best Overall effect; first at Jackson Memorial’s “Showcase of Champions,” winning the caption awards for Best Music and Best Overall Effect, as well as the Esprit de Corps award.
Ridgewood High School Marching Band takes first place at competitions
OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 12:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band captured first place in the recent USBands competition, which took place at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison. At the competition, the band swept all caption awards, including best music, best visual and best effect.
In addition to the win at the USBands competition, the RHS squad took first place in a competition last month at Pequannock High School. The team won the award for best music.
The RHS Marching Band’s 2014 field show is named “Rise,” depicting the life of a phoenix. The show begins with a Steven Reineke composition, “Rise of the Firebird,” and then features the percussion section in the “Infernal Dance,” by Igor Stravinsky. The ballad this year is by Dmitri Shostakovich, entitled “The Fire of Eternal Glory.” The show closes with music that symbolizes the firebird rising from the ashes, Stravinsky’s “Finale” from “The Firebird.”
The band is under the direction of John Luckenbill and has 96 members for the 2014 season. Among upcoming competitions, the RHS Marching Band will travel to Rutgers University on Oct. 18 for USBands New Jersey State Championships.
