Some of Central Iowa’s best bands are coming to Pella High School Saturday to begin the competition season.
The annual Marching Dutch Invitational begins at 4 p.m., with 19 ensembles participating, including Knoxville and PCM in the contest and Pella in exhibition to end the evening. The Marching Dutch remain one of central Iowa’s premiere bands, winning numerous competitions and earning 42 consecutive division I superior ratings at the state contest.
Annika Bandstra, Lin Nikkel, and Levi Dugger are the drum majors of this year’s band, or the student conductors directing the show from the field. The trio tell KNIA/KRLS News this year’s show is meant to be more upbeat, with a goal of inspiring audiences through music.
“This year’s show is entitled Rise Above, and it’s about how everyone in life hits a rocky point and maybe they hit their rock bottom, and then it’s about the climb back up from that,” Dugger says.
“I think the intentionality that the show being lighter is more positive and will make a bigger impact on people who listen and watch our show than in years past,” Nikkel adds.
“We have a song featured into our show that’s from The Greatest Showman–one of the themes ‘This is Me,’ and then we also have songs talking about the country during JFK’s death and songs featured from the movie Rudy,” Bandstra says.
Hear more about the Marching Dutch on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.
Admission at the Marching Dutch Invitational Saturday is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Click here for the full schedule.