INDIANAPOLIS – A sea of dark blue and black filled the stands Saturday night, and the audience began cheering for the Homestead High School Spartan Alliance Band before band members even took to the field.

Coming in third place overall in Class A, Homestead took home the highest award of the four Allen County bands that competed Saturday at the 2010 State Marching Band Finals.

Among area schools, Norwell finished third in the Class C category. Emotion was raw, and the cheers were loud for students from the region as they performed at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.

Of the 172 high school marching bands across the state, 40 qualified for the finals, sponsored annually by the Indiana State School Music Association.

Bands that qualify for the finals are divided into four classes, A through D, based on school enrollment. Each class has 10 bands for the event, which is presented by the Indiana State Marching Band Finals.

Six local and regional bands qualified for this year’s finals: Homestead, Concordia Lutheran, North Side, DeKalb, Norwell, and Heritage high schools.

Homestead’s performance was titled “Becoming My Creation.” As the performance began, color guard members walked onto the field wearing green hooded capes. One member appeared in the center of the field wearing an orange, sparkling top. She became the color focus during the performance.

As color guard members dressed in bronze and gold ensembles played a tug of war with the orange-dressed member, marching band members surrounded in patterns and formations.

Mid-performance, the orange costume turned to purple, and as if echoing the action, color guard flags changed to purple, yellow and orange. At the end of the performance, all the band members gathered near the side of the field facing the audience and turned their bodies and attention toward the band member clad in purple.

Norwell’s Marching Knights placed third in the Class C competition. Their performance, titled “The Ripple Effect,” brought with it nine large displays that were unveiled through the course of band’s time on the field. The entire message read “Through The Ripple Effect You Can Change The World.”

A portion of the band members began the performance lying on the ground, their heads facing the crowd. A man’s voice followed on the speakers.

“The ripple effect is based on the understanding we are all connected … this is the ripple effect,” he said.

At one point during the performance, color guard members embraced one another – and alternated different colored flags, from red and gray to brighter golden flags toward the end of the performance.

Placing eighth in Class C, the Concordia Lutheran Marching Cadets took the field with a large red apple prop in the center. Their performance, titled “After the Apple: Sin to Salvation,” was a visual and audio performance of Scripture. Color guard members began the performance in black and green serpent attire.

As the band played, a large cross draped in white cloth was brought forth and the color guard members’ ensembles morphed from the serpent-costume to gold.

Their uniforms then changed to pure white mid-performance.

North Side’s Marching Redskins placed ninth in Class B. Their performance, “The Artistry of Stan Keaton,” was a tribute to the famous pianist and composer in the jazz movement. Photos of Keaton were placed on the field, along with signs painted with flames.

Also in Class B, DeKalb’s Baron Brigade placed eighth. The performance titled “Dreams” began with a man’s voice speaking.

“Do you remember your dreams? Do you remember being a child? … Wherever your imagination leads you the door to your dreams is always open.”

Placing 10th in Class C, the Heritage Junior-Senior High School Marching Patriots performed “Making Waves,” which included five wave props and various tapestries that also simulated waves.

The 2010 ISSMA season started with seven district events statewide. From each event bands moved on until making the last qualification for the final competition.

The top finishing school in each class is awarded a $1,000 scholarship in financial support, provided by the Indiana Dairy Farmers group.

The scholarships are then awarded to senior music students.

The ISSMA is a non-profit organization in Indianapolis.

habrams@jg.net