Norwood Scores at MICCA

The Norwood High School (NHS) Marching Band scored 4 out of five overall on Sunday at the Massachusetts Instrumental Choral and Conductors Association (MICCA) Southeast Marching Band Festival at the NHS field.

Norwood Public Schools Director of Fine Arts Jeff Kerr said the band still has a lot of new members, but the kids are getting into their groove, and he felt that was reflected in the judges’ score.

“I think they liked us,” he said. “In the reading at the end, the band ended up four stars overall. I believe they got a five in visuals, fours in everything else, which averages out to an overall score of four.”

Kerr said it’s been an uphill battle since 2024, where the band lost many of its older players and a lot of young and untested students took up the mantle. He said this year their hard work and improvement was very apparent.

“What is happening is we’re kind of now seeing some of the hard work pay off,” he said. “(Norwood Band Director) Steve Conant has been down to the Middle School too, trying to make connections with some of the students in that program. He’s able to connect with some of the students a little earlier. Last year we did have a lot of young players for sure, so now that they’ve been around it again for another year, you’re seeing that improvement, not only musically, but for the visuals and the color guard.”

Kerr said it took a lot of work to get to the standard the band is at now.

“I know they worked really hard over the last few weeks as they were moving through their season to kind of troubleshoot some of the spots they knew needed work,” he said. “They worked really hard, especially on Saturday, when they were here for a good portion of the day when it was rainy and cold. They worked really hard to make a change from the show the week before. And they were very excited to see that hard work paid off.”

Kerr added his staff weren’t idle either.

“So now you have staff who are really working well with the kids to impart the information they need too, and the students are harnessing that,” he said. “So when it comes time to put it in front of an audience, you can present it the way you wanted to.”

Kerr also said the Town of Norwood has been very supportive of the program, and that he’s grateful that has continued. Not every municipality has thought so.

“Marching band is tricky, because it’s a large ensemble that needs a lot of resources put its way,” he said. “There are some towns that are doing away with it or struggling to keep it going, and the fact that Norwood still embraces this the way we do, it’s something to be really proud of.”

Finals are next week out of Town.

“We’re at the MICCA State Finals this Sunday and we’ll be at the USBands Final the following week,” he said. The MICCA Finals will be in Quincy and the USBands Finals will be in Stoughton. Go to https://www.norwoodpma.org/events for more details.

“Then we’re back for the Veterans Day Performance,” he said.

Kerr said the band and color guard are still taking their practice seriously, practicing four hours a session every Tuesday and Thursday, with additional practices on Saturdays and Sundays.

“Sometimes it’s on the field when we can get it, and sometimes in the corner of the building,” he said. “But they have a good staff that uses their time well.”