Fort Dodge hosted the 22nd annual North Central Iowa Marching Band Clinic and Competition on Saturday, showcasing their talents to the music of Simon and Garfunkel.

“We’ve been working on the music since May,” said FDSH band director Al Paulson. “We had band camp the first week of August. The drumline and color guard practiced two days a week in the summer with (the assistance of) Eric Hansen and Laura Klein-Ferry.

“We’ve been practicing Monday nights and in the mornings. The kids have been working hard to memorize the music.”

The Dodgers have presented pieces of their show during an exhibition and halftime performances at home football games.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Drew Essman, of Fort Dodge, performs a solo during the 22nd annual North Central Iowa Marching Band Clinic and Competition on Saturday inside Dodger Stadium.

“It’s always an honor to host the invitational,” said FDSH head drum major Manuela Rodriguez. “It’s a great opportunity to see other bands perform and even talk to some of them about how their season is going.

“I thought we did very well. We’ve come a very long way. This is a great band with a really great show on our hands, so I am really excited to see how it looks after some cleaning up and more practice.”

On Friday night, the Dodgers performed their first full show at the halftime of the FDSH football game. They were judged for their full performance on Saturday night inside Dodger Stadium.

“We did the whole show Friday night in uniform for public viewing,” Paulson said. “We were excited to perform and the kids did great. I spoke with them and talked about what we needed to do the next day.

“On Saturday, we rehearsed and had a drum-line clinic. Stephanie King and Curtiss Klein helped us and had a lot of input for us to work on in the morning.”

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The Fort Dodge Senior High All-American Marching Band performs Saturday at the 22nd annual North Central Iowa Marching Band Clinic and Competition.

The Dodgers were rewarded with their performance for best brass section. FDSH received a score of 82.6 for first place in Class 3A.

“When we were ready Saturday, they put on their superman suits and used what they learned that morning to have the best show possible,” Paulson said. “They had a great show. I couldn’t be more proud of them.

“We had a debriefing afterward and talked about the numbers. It was a great accomplishment to earn an 82.6. To break 80 is great.”

Paulson knows what it takes to put on a competition with seven different bands on the field.

“I want to thank everyone that helped put this together,” Paulson said. “The kids, parents, the booster club and other volunteers. Without them, our band and this competition wouldn’t be possible.”

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
McKinley Nore, of Fort Dodge, performs a flute solo during the 22nd annual North Central Iowa Marching Band Clinic and Competition on Saturday inside Dodger Stadium. The band showcased its talents to the music of Simon and Garfunkel.

The Fort Dodge Senior High marching band heads to Algona this Saturday for another invitational.