Marching Band
This year’s band consists of around 255 outstanding members! With many fine musicians and a great group of leaders, our potential for success is high! This year's band is under the direction of field commanders Caden Auvdel, Ethan Gocha, Abbey Bapst, and Alejandro Espinosa Flores.
It is a musical and visual representation that will focus on the idea of cause and effect, for lack of a better explanation. You better believe there will be a raging inferno by the end! The main musical themes come from Shostakovich and a modern band composer by the name of Ryan George. As usual, the show will feature a variety of musical styles and it should evoke the sense of mystery and mystique throughout. We are excited to end the show in a different manner than years past to better coincide with the theme...not much left to do once we are on fire! And as always, a host of yearly stand tunes are in the repertoire to bring the football crowds to life and excite the Grove City Grey-hounds (GO DAWGS) to victory!
The Grove City High School Marching Band has won over 100 grand champion awards over the last twenty-five years in OMEA competitions as well as regional and national events. Accomplishments this past season include four OMEA Contest Grand Champions, straight superior ratings at OMEA State Marching Band Contest, straight superior ratings at District and State Concert Band Contests with all three concert bands, and many auxiliary awards during both the fall and winter season.
Trips and experiences such as: 2025 Honolulu, Hawaii and Pearl Harbor, 2023, 2019, & 2015 in Florida, 2022 Chicago St. Patrick’s Parade, Symphonic Band at the 2021 Ohio Band Director’s Clinic and 2024 and 2018 OMEA Professional Development Conferences, and the 2017, 2000, & 1990 Tournament of Roses Parades.
Symphonic & Concert Bands
The concert band program consists of four ability based ensembles and music is selected based on each group; Blue Band, Crimson Band, Concert Band I, and Symphonic Band. The Symphonic Band has consistently received superior ratings at OMEA State Concert Band Contest in Class AA since the inception of state contest in 1970 and the other bands have received superior ratings at all district events and superior or excellent ratings at state contest.
Highlights for the Symphonic Band:
- Performed for the 2024 and 2018 OMEA Professional Development Conferences
- Performed at the 50th Anniversary of the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois on December 19, 1996.
- Invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic again in 2002.
- Performed at the 1993, 2001, 2014, and 2018 OMEA State Convention and was the clinician band for the composer Francis McBeth at the 1995 OMEA State Convention, as well as for Mark Kelly in 1989.
- Guest band for the Directors' Clinic at Miami University with Donald Hunsburger of the Eastman School of Music and H. Robert Reynolds
from the University of Michigan.
Photo by Mark Bungart
Jazz Band
The Jazz Band was the Grand Champion Jazz Band of the Fiesta-Val International Band Contest held in Toronto, Canada in May 1995 and again in May 1996 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The band received Outstanding Jazz Band Awards in 1993, 1994 and 1997 at Music In the Parks competitions.