SUN, MARCHING FEST SHINE BRIGHT

Tradition continued in uptown Jackson on Tuesday, with the 56th annual Jackson Marching Festival. And, in Pat Schwent's mind, tradition is good.

"It's good to have strong traditions," said Schwent, in her second year as Jackson High School band director and 30th with the band program. "That's what we have here in this band festival. I think the adults especially realize that. The students participating now may not realize how important it is for another 10 years or so. If we set the proper example they will understand and will learn from it and value their traditions."

This particular tradition goes back 55 years. The marching band festival began in 1945 when Jackson band director Leroy Mason wanted to establish a noncompetitive marching event for Southeast Missouri area bands. Today the festival is so large that there are now three locations: Kennett, Poplar Bluff and Jackson. The festival was billed as "a tribute to band festivals past, present and future."

The 56th annual gala saw one tradition change. This year Jackson schools let out early, rather than teachers taking students to the parade. Schwent admitted that she had feared a smaller turnout than usual. She was impressed with the size of the crowd, though, as a large throng of students and adults sunned themselves in the 90 degree afternoon as the 19 bands marched past.

"I thought it was a good move, but I was concerned that we might not have large crowds because of that," Schwent said. "Folks really supported the parade, though. I think it was solely because of the strong tradition of support for the bands and the festival. They came out and I was very pleased."

The festival had its usual dual parts. The 19 bands marched from the high school, through the uptown streets and back to school at 3:30. Later, at 6:30, the bands strutted their stuff in a field show at the football stadium. The Freshman Chiefs and JHS Chiefs both took part, as well as bands from 17 area high schools.

"I thought it went great," Schwent said. "The weather was beautiful and the kids in the bands all seemed to have a good time playing and listening to each other."

What Mason saw as important back in 1945, Schwent sees as even more urgent in the new millennium. This society -- as well as others -- seems to be more competition-minded every generation. Schwent sees this as a real concern.

"Our society is so geared to win and be number one," she said. "People are working day and night toward that. I feel like we've reached the point of complete competition and I think it's a sigh of relief for the kids and the instructors to have something whereby you appreciate the efforts of the students doing their best.

"Nobody cares who is number one -- especially in music. Music was meant to be an art form, not a competition. You don't have to be the number one band to perform for people to enjoy your performance."

Citing some examples of poor sportsmanship during the Sydney Olympics, she asked. "What are we teaching these kids? Is number one only thing we have in this world now? We're wrapped up in the world of who's number one. What about all the number twos and number threes out there?"

The festival, which this year featured Oak Ridge, Delta, Meadow Heights, Oran, Kelly, Greenville, Perryville, East Prairie, Valle, Woodland, Chaffee, Scott County Central, Charleston, Sikeston, Scott City, Advance and Cape Central, as well as the Jackson freshmen, and Jackson High School Marching Chiefs, has always received strong community support. Schwent expressed appreciation for the community's "continued strong support" of both the festival and the school district itself.

That support, she feels, has given the school not only good musicians but good people

"This is one of the best groups of kids I've ever worked with in my 30 years," she said.

"They're very well-mannered and pretty self-disciplined. We three band directors are enjoying the year. You know that has something to do with their parental upbringing; it's not just us.

"We cannot do this alone no teacher can. It takes a group effort from community, parents and the teachers to have fine schools as well as fine bands."