The Hastings High School Marching Tigers are performing a show titled Pictures at an Exhibition during the 2026 marching band season, with 98 students participating under first-year band director Ryan Swierczek.
centralnebraskatoday.com reported that Swierczek, an Omaha native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln music education graduate, was offered the Hastings High position in March after serving as a marching technician at Omaha Burke and student teaching at Lincoln Standing Bear.
Swierczek told the publication that his first marching band season as a teacher involves more than he expected, and he said he is learning alongside the students how best to teach the drill and music. The ensemble features a strong sophomore contingent making up roughly 25 percent of the band, while seniors form the smallest group, according to the report.
The show, composed by Rob Stein and based on Modest Mussorgsky’s suite, spans three movements: Promenade, The Hut on Fowl’s Legs, and The Great Gate of Kiev. The second movement is designed to showcase the percussion section, according to the Standing O Marching website.
The Marching Tigers have competed at the UNK Band Day parade, the Bearcat Marching Festival at Kearney High School, and the Titan Marching Invitational at Papillion La Vista, where they placed ninth. Remaining competitions include the Harvest of Harmony parade, the LINKS Marching Contest at Lincoln High School, the Lincoln Public Schools Marching Invitational at Seacrest Field, and the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association State Marching Contest, where caption awards recognize best percussion, auxiliary, music, visual and effect.
For more information, visit centralnebraskatoday.com.