Marching Band
The marching band is a very visible group at Northwest High School, and is the primary instrumental ensemble in the first quarter. The marching band performs at all home football games, as well as several marching contests. The Northwest Marching Band has achieved great honors at many recent contests, including having earned thirteen consecutive superior ratings at the NSBA State Marching Contest.
2019 SEASON
The 2019 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "The Music of Riverdance," by Bill Whelan, arranged by Tom Wallace. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 24, Fonner Park, Grand Island
Columbus Marching Festival
September 28, Columbus
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 5, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Lincoln Public School Marching Invitational
October 19, Seacrest Field, Lincoln
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 26, Kearney High School, Kearney
2018 SEASON
The 2018 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "The Music of West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 25, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 22, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place (parade)
Columbus Marching Festival
September 29, Columbus
Class B, second place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 6, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, first place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 21, Kearney High School, Kearney
Division I, superior rating
2017 SEASON
The 2017 Northwest Marching Band will be performing Swan Lake, by Tchaikovsky. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 26, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 23, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place (parade)
Columbus Marching Festival
September 30, Columbus
Class B, second place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 7, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 21, Kearney High School, Kearney
Division I, superior rating (field)
2016 SEASON
The 2016 Northwest Marching Band will be performing the Music of Aaron Copland, including Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, and Rodeo. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 27, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 17, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 1, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, second place
Division I, superior rating (field)
Columbus Marching Festival
October 8, Columbus
Class A, first place
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 22, Foster Field, Kearney
Division I, superior rating (field)
2015 SEASON
The 2015 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "Scheherazade," by Rimsky-Korsakov. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 23, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 19, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 3, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Division I, superior rating (field)
Columbus Marching Festival
October 10, Columbus
Class A, first place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (band)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 24, Hastings College
Division I, superior rating
2014 SEASON
The 2014 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "Tragedy into Triumph: The Music of Beethoven." Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 23, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 20, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Best drumline
Sweepstakes Trophy (best overall band)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 4, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, first place (parade)
Best A-B band (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Lincoln "Links" Contest
October 11, Lincoln High, Lincoln
Division I, superior rating (band)
Division I, superior rating (color guard)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 25, Foster Field, Kearney
Division II, excellent rating
2013 SEASON
The 2013 Northwest Marching Band performed Dvorak's "New World Symphony." Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Omaha's River City Rodeo
1st Place Overall (Parade)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 1st Place (Parade)
Best A/B Band (Parade)
Division I - Field
Lincoln "Links" Contest
Division I (Superior)
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division I (Superior)
2012 SEASON
The 2012 Northwest Marching Band performed "Power, Grace, and Fire," and included Mars and Jupiter from The Planets by Holst, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and Stravinksy's Firebird. Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Omaha's River City Rodeo
2nd Place Overall (Parade)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 1st Place (Parade)
Division I - Field
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division I (Superior)
2011 SEASON
The 2011 Northwest Marching Band performed "The Music of Riverdance". Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
Division I - Field
Lincoln High School's Links Competition
Division II
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division II
2010 SEASON
The 2010 Northwest Marching Band performed Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" by Johan de Meij. Major performances of 2010 include:
The Nebraska State Fair
(including the historic opening ceremonies of the fair's move to Grand Island)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
Division II - Field
Lincoln High School's "Links" competition
Division II
Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Festival
Division II
2009 SEASON
Our show for 2009 was "The Music of Karl Jenkins". Below are the results of the band's 2009 competitions:
UNK Band Day
Best Color Guard
Class A Best Band
Harvest of Harmony
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
I - Superior (Field)
NSBA State Marching Contest
I - Superior
2008 SEASON
In 2008, the band won the following awards with its show, "Cirque du Soleil: Quidam".
UNK Band Day
Best Color Guard
Best Drum Line
Class A Best Band
Best Overall Band (Sweepstakes Trophy)
Harvest of Harmony
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
I - Superior (Field)
NSBA State Marching Contest
I - Superior
Below are some pictures of the band's 2008 season.
2019 SEASON
The 2019 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "The Music of Riverdance," by Bill Whelan, arranged by Tom Wallace. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 24, Fonner Park, Grand Island
Columbus Marching Festival
September 28, Columbus
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 5, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Lincoln Public School Marching Invitational
October 19, Seacrest Field, Lincoln
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 26, Kearney High School, Kearney
2018 SEASON
The 2018 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "The Music of West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 25, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 22, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place (parade)
Columbus Marching Festival
September 29, Columbus
Class B, second place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 6, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, first place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 21, Kearney High School, Kearney
Division I, superior rating
2017 SEASON
The 2017 Northwest Marching Band will be performing Swan Lake, by Tchaikovsky. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 26, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 23, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place (parade)
Columbus Marching Festival
September 30, Columbus
Class B, second place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 7, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 21, Kearney High School, Kearney
Division I, superior rating (field)
2016 SEASON
The 2016 Northwest Marching Band will be performing the Music of Aaron Copland, including Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, and Rodeo. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 27, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 17, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 1, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, second place
Division I, superior rating (field)
Columbus Marching Festival
October 8, Columbus
Class A, first place
Division I, superior rating (field)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 22, Foster Field, Kearney
Division I, superior rating (field)
2015 SEASON
The 2015 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "Scheherazade," by Rimsky-Korsakov. Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 23, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 19, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 3, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Division I, superior rating (field)
Columbus Marching Festival
October 10, Columbus
Class A, first place (parade)
Division I, superior rating (band)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 24, Hastings College
Division I, superior rating
2014 SEASON
The 2014 Northwest Marching Band will be performing "Tragedy into Triumph: The Music of Beethoven." Performances include:
The Nebraska State Fair
August 23, Fonner Park, Grand Island
UNK Band Day/Bearcat Marching Festival
September 20, downtown Kearney/Kearney High School/UNK
Class A, first place
Best drumline
Sweepstakes Trophy (best overall band)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
October 4, downtown Grand Island/Grand Island Senior High
Class A, first place (parade)
Best A-B band (parade)
Division I, superior rating (field)
Lincoln "Links" Contest
October 11, Lincoln High, Lincoln
Division I, superior rating (band)
Division I, superior rating (color guard)
NSBA State Marching Festival
October 25, Foster Field, Kearney
Division II, excellent rating
2013 SEASON
The 2013 Northwest Marching Band performed Dvorak's "New World Symphony." Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Omaha's River City Rodeo
1st Place Overall (Parade)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 1st Place (Parade)
Best A/B Band (Parade)
Division I - Field
Lincoln "Links" Contest
Division I (Superior)
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division I (Superior)
2012 SEASON
The 2012 Northwest Marching Band performed "Power, Grace, and Fire," and included Mars and Jupiter from The Planets by Holst, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and Stravinksy's Firebird. Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Omaha's River City Rodeo
2nd Place Overall (Parade)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 1st Place (Parade)
Division I - Field
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division I (Superior)
2011 SEASON
The 2011 Northwest Marching Band performed "The Music of Riverdance". Performances included:
The Nebraska State Fair
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
Division I - Field
Lincoln High School's Links Competition
Division II
NSBA State Marching Festival
Division II
2010 SEASON
The 2010 Northwest Marching Band performed Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" by Johan de Meij. Major performances of 2010 include:
The Nebraska State Fair
(including the historic opening ceremonies of the fair's move to Grand Island)
Harvest of Harmony in Grand Island
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
Division II - Field
Lincoln High School's "Links" competition
Division II
Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Festival
Division II
2009 SEASON
Our show for 2009 was "The Music of Karl Jenkins". Below are the results of the band's 2009 competitions:
UNK Band Day
Best Color Guard
Class A Best Band
Harvest of Harmony
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
I - Superior (Field)
NSBA State Marching Contest
I - Superior
2008 SEASON
In 2008, the band won the following awards with its show, "Cirque du Soleil: Quidam".
UNK Band Day
Best Color Guard
Best Drum Line
Class A Best Band
Best Overall Band (Sweepstakes Trophy)
Harvest of Harmony
Class A 2nd Place (Parade)
I - Superior (Field)
NSBA State Marching Contest
I - Superior
Below are some pictures of the band's 2008 season.