MUSCATINE, Iowa — It was a colorful display of feathered plumes, color guard flags and band uniforms this weekend at the State Marching Band Festival on Saturday.

Twenty-two bands performed on the Muscatine High School football field playing tunes ranging from selections from “Phantom of the Opera” to songs by the Rolling Stones.

Usually the state festival is held every other year between Muscatine and Davenport, but because of a schedule conflict at Brady Street Stadium, the 2009 competition found its way to the MHS field.

Barb Walker and Amber Harden both have children in the Muskie Marching Band. Geoff Walker, 15, plays in the front ensemble, or “pit,” while Harden’s son, Shea Burke, 14, plays the mellophone. Harden’s sweatshirt was adorned with a photo button of her son.

“He likes it up there,” Walker said of her son. “They have a lot of fun.”

Walker’s youngest son is the latest of her children to go through school as a “band kid.” Harden still has another child to go through the program.

“I’ll have been doing this for eight years by the end,” she said.

An estimated 80 Muskie Band Boosters volunteered at the event, Harden said, which brought in spectators, parents and friends from all over eastern Iowa. Many in the bleachers found themselves clutching hot cocoa in gloved hands due to the chilly breeze.

The annual Iowa High School Music Association event was sponsored by the Muscatine High School bands and Muskie Band Boosters.

“It takes a lot of people,” Walker said. “It’s a lot of work to set this up.”

Volunteers ushered buses, equipment trailers and school vehicles at the top parking lot, while other volunteers worked the first aid table, concessions and admission booth.

Wes Walker, Barb Walker’s husband and Geoff’s father, was one of the bus ushers, and said his trombonist son, Graham, came back from the University of Iowa to watch his younger brother, Geoff, perform.

Judges wandered the field with tape recorders, watching for coordination, style and technique. The point system is based on an overall score of 100 points total. All Muscatine-County participating schools — Wapello, West Liberty, Wilton, Louisa-Muscatine and Muscatine – received division I rankings.

“It just goes to show you, whatever you put your mind to you can do,” Wes Walker said of the coordinated musicians who were on the field for warm-up. “They work really hard.”

School Name Class Rating

Notre Dame  1A  II

Camanche  2A II

Louisa-Muscatine  2A I

Mediapolis  2A I

North Cedar, Stanwood  2A  II

Tipton   2A II

Wapello   2A I

West Branch 2A  SC

West Burlington  2A II

West Liberty 2A  I

Wilton   2A  I

Central Clinton, DeWitt  3A I

Fort Madison  3A  I

Keokuk   3A I

Mount Pleasant  3A  I

Bettendorf   4A I

Burlington   4A I

Clinton   4A  I

Davenport Central 4A  I

Davenport North  4A I

Davenport West  4A  I

Muscatine   4A I