The Band of Blue honored their Seniors and Honor Band Members. Director Tom Finigan said, “Our band has grown and matured and become a stronger band. The Band of Blue has been very successful this year and we have so much to be proud of. We are looking forward to 2025 and continuing to grow and doing our best next year for Colleton County! I am so proud of our parents that have stepped up to make the Band of Blue Senior Class of 2025 feel so special. This year’s Band of Blue had an outstanding year, we challenged our students to continue to be a better band. “CONNECTIONS” was a truly a crowd favorite. We put on a great marching band show, “Connections”. We proved that good music and great visual concepts equal an outstanding performance. We performed for our parents and friends at halftime at five home football games. We started out contest season with a great showing and a 2nd place finish at Midland Valley and that set the tone for the season. The band marched at the Coastal Empire Classic in Effingham, Georgia and earned 1st place and won high color guard. We then traveled to Richmond Hill, Georgia and won the South Georgia Marching Band Championship and won our class at the South Effingham Mustang Classic. The band had an outstanding preliminary performance and placed 4th overall and 2nd in Lower State. The evening performance at state resulted in a 5th place showing in the state in for the 4A competition. This was the highest ranking the Band of Blue has finished since 2005. Earning a TOP 5 ranking and being a finalist in Class 4A every year since 1976 is quite an accomplishment. That’s a record that most band programs can and will never obtain.”
The Colleton County High Band of Blue had a very productive and busy winter and spring. The high school and middle school programs competed and performed throughout the month at various contests and performances throughout South Carolina.
Our CCHS JV and Varsity Winterguards and Winter Percussion competed in several Carolina Winter Ensembles Regionals. The JV Winter Guard Program was based on the song “Come in from the Rain”, the Varsity Winter Guard program was based on the sinking of the Titanic called “A Night to Remember”. The Band of Blue JV and Varsity Winter Guards are under the direction of Cathy Meshach and Jason Johnson with assistance from Lilly Boyert, Taylor Fussell, Cody Dalton, and Anthony Crimely. The JV Winter Guard finished the year with a Bronze Medal and earned a promotion medallion for the Scholastic AAA Classification. The Band of Blue Varsity Winter Guard was promoted to Scholastic A and was awarded the promotion medal for earning their reclassification this spring.
The Band of Blue Winter Percussion program is based off the theme “Hypnotic.” The Band of Blue Winter Percussion is under the direction of Clay Blackwood with assistance from Joelle Glapinski, Taylor Fussell, Cody Dalton, Anthony Crimely, and George Ritchie. The Winter Percussion finished their season with a 2nd place ranking in Percussion Scholastic A and earned a Silver Medal.
The BIG BLUE JAZZ BAND traveled to Charleston Southern University to perform at the South Carolina Band Directors Association Jazz Performance Assessment. Big Blue Jazz earned an Excellent Rating with several players earning soloist honors including Sean Nunez, Jada Christian, Dominick Jackson, Neveah Smith, Carla Harrison, Jake Deshane, and Caleb Creel. Big Blue Jazz Band also performed at the waterfall for the Walterboro History, Art and Music Festival (WHAM) and went on tour at several of our elementary schools to recruit for the band.
The Band of Blue Concert Band performed at the 2025 South Carolina Band Directors Association Concert Performance Assessment and earned a Superior Rating. The Band of Blue performed Gallant Marines by Karl King, Sparks by Brian Balmages, and Clouds that Sail in Heaven by Todd Stalter.
Several Band of Blue and Middle School students performed chamber ensemble selections at the SCBDA Solo and Ensemble Festival at James Island High School earning 29 Superior and 12 Excellent ratings.
Finigan added, “Our band year after year, and time after time, is a consistent winning program. Thank you for your dedication to our community and the traditions that the Band of Blue has shown our community for over 50 years. Thank You to the fans and parents that love this band! The genuine respect and love that our students earn from other programs is a testament to the support and backing from our parents and community here in Colleton County. We look forward to next year and the challenges of competition. Congratulations on a very successful year and get ready for an exciting 2025 school year!”
