State band competition on tap at Sayreville H.S.
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer

The Sayreville War Memorial High School marching band performs during a recent event.

SAYREVILLE - More than 40 marching bands will converge on the borough Saturday for a day of performances and the state championship at stake.

The Sayreville War Memorial High School Marching Unit will host the U.S. Scholastic Band Associations [USSBA] state championship starting at 11 a.m. The event will last nearly 12 hours.

"It will be a great night for the community and the schools across the state," said Dan Hanstein, a member of the Sayreville Band Parent Association.

The 41 bands range in size from 30 to 175 members, and they will likely perform until 10 p.m., when the concluding awards ceremony in expected to be held.

Jack Myatt, show coordinator and Band Parent Association member, said the state champion teams will be decided in three divisions based on the size of the bands.

Altogether, there are about 2,600 band members set to perform, Myatt said. Bands from the central New Jersey area include Carteret, Long Branch, Central Regional, Metuchen, Lakewood, Dunellen and Shore Regional.

The Sayreville band, which has 33 mem- bers, is scheduled to perform at 1:44 p.m. The band has been practicing two to three times a week for several months.

"They are playing their hearts out," Myatt said. "When there are [fewer] members, everyone has to be on their game."

The Sayreville band took first place in a regional competition at The College of New Jersey in Ewing on Sunday, and next month will go to a national competition in Baltimore, thanks to fundraising efforts that brought in $14,000 raised for the trip.

"The parents are behind them all the way," Myatt said. "We believe in our kids, so we did whatever it took."

The U.S. Marine Corps Band will perform at 4 p.m., before the first awards show.

"The Marine Corps are one of the sponsors of the USSBA," Myatt said. "They pick and choose shows that they feel warrant them coming to. This group is coming in from Parris Island [South Carolina]. … I'm taking it as a very nice honor."

Thousands of spectators are anticipated to attend Saturday's event in Sayreville, according to Hanstein.

"They are approximately 175 members strong and only do select shows with the USSBA," Hanstein said. "We, Sayreville, are very proud to have been chosen for this honor."