The Valencia High School Marching Band & Color Guard is pleased to announce the 7th Annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. in Santa Clarita.

Valencia High School will be hosts to approximately 18 local and southern California bands with over 1200 performers who will showcase the fan favorite excitement of artistic visual pageantry, heart pounding music along with innovative marching formation designs.

The tournaments location will be at the Valencia High School Football stadium at 27801 North Dickason Drive, Santa Clarita, 91355. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. with an exciting awards ceremony taking place at 9:45p.m. Ticket price is $10. General parking is free. Preferred parking is $10. There will be a special performance by the Pasadena City College Lancer Marching Band and Color Guard at 9:30 p.m.

Valencia High School Band and Color Guard will perform as well. Band Director, Mark Judd, along with his Visual and Music Design Team, have beautifully crafted a program called “New York Cityscapes” which musically conceptualizes the unique energy of New York by incorporating music genres that reflect its cultural diversity. Mark Judd states, “We have been invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall and St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York in March 2019. Our goal was to create a performance that is musically and visually attainable. In a political landscape that can be divisive, we wanted to celebrate the melting pot of New York and the American music that historically brings us all together.”

Delicious food, snacks and drinks will be served throughout the day by the Valencia High School Band & Flag Boosters. “Raffle prizes will also be available. All proceeds from the tournament go towards our ongoing fundraising efforts of our music program. We encourage businesses to visit our website for great opportunities to be a sponsor,” says Channon Morris, President of the Flags & Boosters Board.

Valencia High School principal Steve Ford adds, “These band and color guard students have worked very hard since the beginning of the summer this year, and we are so proud of their accomplishments. We encourage our students to excel in academics, sports and the fine arts. This tournament is an important event for Valencia High School. It brings us joy to offer ways that bring the Santa Clarita Community together! I strongly encourage everyone in the area to support the music program and enjoy the great performances from these school bands in the surrounding communities.”

About the Valencia High School Band & Color Guard:
The Pride of the Vikings Marching Band and Color Guard has been ranked as one of the top “Class 3A” bands in Southern California and has won sweepstakes awards at several competitions. The concert band programs have also received consistent “superior” rankings at the festivals they attend. For the past five years, the Viking Band and Color Guard has medaled at SCSBOA (Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association) Championships, receiving a bronze medal in 2014, silver in 2016 and 2017 and gold medals in 2013 and 2015.

About Mark Judd:
Mark Judd received his B.A. in music education and his teaching credential from California State University, Fresno. He studied conducting under the direction of Dr. Lawrence Sutherland and tuba performance under Ed Hull and Scott Choat from the Fresno Philharmonic. While at Fresno State, Mark performed in the scholarship Clendenin Brass Quintet for three years and performed in the Tulare Symphony. Mark is an alumnus of Kappa Kappa Psi, an honorary music education fraternity.
This is Mark Judd’s tenth year directing at Valencia High School, in which the band has participated in the Southern California Schools Band and Orchestra Association marching band championships consecutively each year.

About Valencia High School Band & Flag Booster:
The Valencia High School Band & Flag Boosters (VHSBFB) is the booster organization supporting the Valencia High School band and color guard programs. The group supports the directors in the overall operation of the programs through fundraising, logistics and transportation planning, provision of sectional instructors, and operation of the marching band’s annual week-long camp. The VHSBFB is led by the executive board, which includes a group of elected officers, and the band and color guard directors. VHSBFB is registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation in the state of California.