Raider Marching Band Competition

Today's Raider Marching Band 16th Annual Marching Band Festival was for everyone who has ever been a member of a high school band or sat through the first half of a high school or college football game in order to see the half-time show or thought that the best part of any home-town parade was the bands playing a Sousa march or the National Anthem.

This celebration of marching bands is for the audience that appreciates the student musicians who spend years learning to read music, learning to play an instrument, learning to play that instrument with other musicians, learning to march together with the other musicians while playing music that they have probably memorized, and learning the choreography for the show.

Adding to all the excitement are the Colorguards - those students out there on the field coordinating their flags, swords, ribbons, and sabers with the band music while enhancing the musical themes.

And we can't forget the "roadies" - usually known as band parents - that work with each band to design, build, and move around the sets and coordinate each band for a smooth show.


The sportsmanship exhibited at the show by all the band members and their friends and relatives is stupendous. Those attending who can really appreciate the work involved, show unwavering support for each band, from the smallest schools to those powerhouse bands with seemingly unlimited resources.

Congratulations to all!


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The photographs of the Hillsborough High School Raider Marching Band 16th Annual Marching Band Festival are by Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz. Due to the large number of great pictures and the number of competitors, the photos have been divided into four sections.

Pictures of the first half of the competition, which included high school bands from Bernards, Carteret, Manalapan, Franklin, Union, South Plainfield, Northern Burlington, Montgomery, Somerville, and Mount Olive, can be found here.

Pictures of many of the Band Parents can be found here.

Pictures of the second half of the competition, including high school bands from New Providence, North Penn, ScotchPlains-Fanwood, Hunterdon Central, Immaculata, John P. Stevens, South Brunswick, and Hillsborough, can be found here.

Pictures of the Rutgers University Marching Band and the Awards Ceremony can be found here.