By Kevin Shannahan

Dancing, flag twirling, marching and music were the order of the day as 20 high school bands with over 1,500 musicians and families from every corner of Louisiana as well as East Texas converged on Northwestern State University’s Turpin stadium for the 2024 Classic on the Cane High School Band Competition on Nov. 2. The competition, a longtime tradition among band programs in Louisiana and elsewhere, is in its 35th year. The Classic on the Cane is a superb opportunity for the bands to showcase their abilities and spend a day in friendly competition with fellow musicians.

Desoto Parish was ably represented by the North Desoto Griffins Marching Band. The Griffins scored percussion 2, auxiliary 1 and band 2.

Each marching band gave a half-time type performance and was graded on several factors relating to marching, performing and musicality. The east side of Turpin stadium was packed end to end with the band members’ families and supporters who enthusiastically waved signs and cheered their favorite bands.

The NSU Spirit of Northwestern band gave the last performance of the evening, a high energy performance that drew repeated applause from the crowd. It is a sign of both NSU’s excellence and service to our state that many of the band directors at the competition are NSU alumni.

The Classic on the Cane has been a fixture of the high school marching band scene for the past 35 years. The Natchitoches Parish Journal is looking forward to seeing some of the superb young musicians at the competition coming to NSU to continue their education. We are looking forward to next year’s contest!