By Gary Marino

Special to the Tribune

The Rocket Band of Blue competed at the 9th Annual Marching Yellow Jackets Invitational last weekend. About an hour and a half north of Marshall County, in the town of Hartsville, 25 bands took to the field in competition. By the end of the day there were a lot of trophies and sunburnt faces heading back home.

If you have been to a Forrest home football game or better yet a Middle Tennessee marching band competition this fall you have seen the Rocket Band of Blue perform the show "Journey of Man." Each week Billy Bateman fine tunes the show for Saturday's competition. The band members adapt and rehearse until Bateman is satisfied with both sound and marching precision. The goal of all this work is to qualify for the state finals and hopefully take home the 1st Place Sweepstakes Trophy "Division I State Champion."

The Rocket Band of Blue and Beech High School were the only two bands to receive all Ones in band ratings at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. When all was said and done, the Rocket Band of Blue was awarded 3rd Place Guard, 3rd Place Percussion, 1st Place Field Commander, and 1st Place Band Overall in their class, and 1st Place Sweepstakes winner.

This Saturday the Rocket Band of Blue competes in Lebanon in the Blue Devil Invitational. On Oct. 12, the Rocket Band of Blue host the Middle Tennessee Small Band Championship at Forrest School. It is always amazing to watch some very talented bands compete during the course of the day for top honors. If you have never been to a marching competition, come out and be entertained by these talented musicians and support the competing bands and the Rocket Band of Blue. You won't be disappointed.