Ponte Vedra High School’s Ocean of Sound marching band was rated “Superior” by the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Oct. 29, ending the band’s competitive month on a high note.
The band received the rating during the FBA Music Performance Assessment held at Fleming Island High School, marking the first time in the school’s history that the entire ensemble earned the rank.
“The band did a fantastic job at the Music Performance Assessment,” said Jermain Reynolds, Ocean of Sound director, as he commended the improvement he’s seen in the band in the past few months. “Our show is getting better every week.”
Reynolds also noted that October’s assessment was the fourth time the band performed before judges. The team is eager to keep up the momentum of their progress.
“The kids want to improve the show at each event, so they’re motivated,” he said. “It’s really great to see their enthusiasm pay off on the field.”
Prior to competing at Fleming Island, the band competed at Middleburg, Nease and Jacksonville University (JU) throughout the month. The group made finals at JU, placing eighth out of 20 competing bands. They were judged based on musical presentation, special effects, visuals, percussion, color guard and the drum majors’ direction.
Ocean of Sound will head to the State Competition in Tampa Nov. 11-12, and Reynolds is eager to see the fruits of the band’s labor.
“This trip is a culmination of a lot of hard work by the students and I can’t wait to see how we do in Tampa,” he said. “Our scores have been going up at each show, so I’m looking forward to State.”
