Norsemen shine bright: Roland-Story marching band dominates Carroll Band Days once again!

By Ella M.

The Roland-Story Marching Band has added another consecutive year to their wins at Carroll Band Days. The band and color guard, under the direction of Kevin and Jennifer Masemann, headed to the competition on Saturday, September 30. This is the 66th year of the event in Carroll, which inspired the parade’s Route 66 theme.

The line-up consisted of 12 bands and 40 businesses showcasing their floats. The Roland-Story Band was number 62nd in the parade, marching close to a mile. Unfortunately, conditions were less than favorable, considering the high was just short of 90 degrees. However, you can always count on the RS band to look and sound their best, no matter the circumstances. So the band and color guard performed in full uniform, even for the exhibition.

The exhibition, following the march, has been a new addition to the itinerary of the day. This event showcases a game-day halftime routine from each participating band. This has only been the second year that the band has performed at the venue. Contrary to the parade, the exhibition is not scored; it is merely to show off the talents of the bands who perform. Afterward, the bands and their placements in the competition were announced and awards were handed out.

The participating bands were judged on marching precision, music presentation, and general effect/showmanship. On these categories, Roland-Story was announced as 1st in class 2A and 1st overall; the color guard was awarded Best Color Guard. All titles came with trophies to recognize the accomplishments, and several of the Norsemen were pictured on the front page of the Carroll paper. The Masemanns, as well as the band, were very excited to bring the overall Best Band trophy back to the band room. 

“I’m so proud of what the kids did considering most of our time was spent practicing in preparation for the new football field,” Mr. Masemann said.

Thank you to the many community members who drove to support the Roland-Story band! 

Location: Carroll, IA 51401, USA

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