Metallica's recent "For Whom The Band Tolls" marching band competition has reached its peak, with the final contenders chosen for each category. From high schoolers to university students, these talented musicians have impressed judges with their unique interpretations of the legendary metal band's music.
Back in April, Metallica challenged marching bands across the nation to showcase their skills by crafting performances of their most beloved songs. Metallica allowed bands to use their music for free, as part of the competition, and the participating band had access to a library of marching band charts for the band's songs.
The competition offered prizes that could significantly contribute to school programs, – furnished by Metallica and its sponsors – including a whopping $75,000 in musical instruments and equipment for the winning Division 1 college band.
With entries pouring in – as more than 450 colleges and high schools across the US took part in the contest – the judging process probably was no easy feat. Now, five high school and collegiate winners have been selected, and they are now poised for the ultimate test – impressing the band members themselves, as members of Metallica will select the final prize in each category in early January.
Fan voting will also play a role, with the opportunity to crown the "Fan Favorite" winners at both the high school and collegiate levels, which will be awarded $10,000 each in prizes. To submit your vote, go to MetallicaMarchingBand.com.
The list of finalists for each category is as follows:
Collegiate: Division 1 – $75,000 in prizing:
- Auburn University
- Fresno State University
- Iowa State University
- University of Iowa
- University of Texas at Austin
Collegiate: Division 2, 3 – $40,000 in prizing:
- Blinn College
- Eastern New Mexico University
- Manchester University
- West Texas A&M University
- Western Illinois University
High School: Small, Medium & Large – $15,000 each in prizing:
Small High School:
- Cleveland High School – Cleveland, AL
- Edinburg High School – Edinburg, TX
- Oakton High School – Vienna, VA
- Oologah High School – Oologah, OK
- Valhalla High School – El Cajon, CA
Medium High School:
- Boerne High School – Boerne, TX
- Desert Mountain High School – Scottsdale, AZ
- DeWitt High School – DeWitt, MI
- Kell High School – Kennesaw, GA
- Malverne High School – Malverne, NY
Large High School:
- Austin High School – Sugarland, TX
- Dobyns-Bennett High School – Kingsport, TN
- Lambert High School – Suwanee, GA
- Lorena High School – Lorena, TX
- Pell City High School – Pell City, AL
