Dubois County School Bring Home the Gold in Jasper ISSMA Open Invitational

The stands at Jerry Brewer Alumni Stadium were filled almost to capacity on Saturday as bands from all over the state descended on Jasper for the ISSMA Scholastic Prelims and Open Class Invitational. Dubois County Schools fared particularly well with the Northeast Dubois Marching Jeeps, Forest Park Marching Rangers, Southridge Marching Raiders, and Jasper Marching Wildcats bringing home gold with multiple distinctions. The event itself has a long and celebrated history, and its impact on the crowds, performers, and the city itself was evident at every turn. 

Many of these students will be going on to universities with their own storied marching band history, such as Jasper senior Ava Sinclair, who said, “Recently I’ve decided I’m going to Purdue University to go into vax education. It’s always been a passion of mine.” Sinclair made a point to say how close the band has become in the past few years. Other seniors touted the close-knit environment marching band creates for high school students. Forest Park Drum Major Ella Hopf plans to major in political science and international relations and hopes to continue with music. About today’s competition, Hopf said, “It was an incredible experience performing today. My favorite part was…definitely the warmup, because it was just so…electric and….everybody was…on fire, and so… it’s just so exciting going into a performance…knowing that everybody wants to be there and is excited and ready to do it.” That sentiment was repeated by a number of other competitors, including Lydia Devillez of Forest Park, who said, “I have made almost all of my friends through band. I love the people in my band. We’re quite literally family.” 

Other students emphasized the athletic nature of marching band. Gavin Kieper of Forest Park said, “It’s like a sport. It’s very physical. For band, it’s really physical, and you also gotta put…air support through your instrument.” These feelings were, without a doubt, echoed by Contest Coordinator Josh Gunselman, whose wife, Kimbra Gunselman, serves as President of the Jasper Band Parents. He explained, “Marching band is one of the ultimate team sports and it challenges the individual to perform their best, but again it’s a group and it’s a team that work together.” 

The dedicated service of Gunselman and the competition staff is integral to the success of this event, and is an act of stewardship for the ISSMA’s long tradition of excellence. Gunselman lauded the partnership with Memorial EMS and Jasper Fire Department that provided on call first responder support for students and spectators in the heat Saturday, stressing that “safety was paramount.” He also thanked the city for its help in preparing for the influx of visitors, explaining, “They’re buying gas, they’re shopping in our restaurants, and those types of things, so it’s a huge economic boost. But the city is amazing, and again, so beginning with the Board of Public Works, and requesting permission to basically close down the street and the whole area for the whole day. And then again, coordination with the police department, street department, and the park department is just amazing.” 

For more information on ISSMA Marching Band Events, visit www.issma.net. 

 - By Drew Hasselbring