Gilroy High School was the host site for the Western Band Association’s Oct. 12 marching band competition, tagged the Gilroy Garlic Classic 2013.
The bands were broken into five different classes, including high school bands from Santa Clara, Madera, Reno, Los Gatos, Los Banos and Evergreen Valley.
The Western Band Association, originally the Western Scholastic Marching Band Conference, was formed in 1979 by a group of band directors from Northern and Central California, including Mike Rubino of Live Oak High School, with a goal “to create an educationally based competitive performance opportunity.”
According to the WBA website, 12,000 students in 110 membership bands perform annually in 17 shows plus a championship competition. WBA also offers $6,500 in scholarships each year.
