Marching ensembles from Fort Mill High School, Nation Ford High School and Catawba Ridge High School performed jointly on Sept. 19 to open their 2026 competitive season, the Fort Mill Sun reported. This marked the first time since 2019 that all three district bands appeared together at the annual Carolinas Exhibition of Bands hosted by Nation Ford.
According to the Fort Mill Sun, students rehearsed their shows starting in mid-July before presenting them without scores to a panel of clinicians for feedback. Organizers described each program as nationally ranked while local residents filled the stands to support the educators and students.
The event also featured the public debut of Beatz: A RHYTHMIC Expression, a rhythm-based program pilot at Catawba Ridge High School designed to aid cognitive and social development for students with differing abilities. The Fort Mill Sun noted organizers hope to expand this initiative to all three district high schools in the future. The three bands are scheduled to compete at the same BandBEAT Marching Band Championship on Oct. 3 at Catawba Ridge High School.
For more information, visit fortmillsun.com.