The Charles Henderson Blue Machine marching band traveled down to Dothan for the sixth annual Southern Showcase band competition and walked away with the highest marks possible in each category. At the Southern Showcase, the Blue Machine completed with 28 bands from the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

CHHS Band booster Sherry Cardenas said the entire band community was proud of the way the Blue Machine competed. “This is a competition we go to in Dothan every year,” Cardenas said. “There were eight judges. At the end our band received all superior ratings. Those are the highest ratings you can get at these competitions.”

The Charles Henderson dance line was particularly successful. The dance line was rated as the best in its class. “Our dance line was best in class out of the 2A division, which was composed of 10 bands,” Cardenas said. “It’s a big honor to win out of all those bands.”

The Blue Machine’s strong performance might have good consequences later in the season. Last year, the Blue Machine was chosen to participate in a band festival in Washington D.C. If the Blue Machine can keep up the superior ratings this year, another trip might be in its future. “We were selected to go to Washington on the strength of our scores last year,” Cardenas said. “The scores from this last competition go to festivals all across the country.”

If you missed the Blue Machine at the Southern Showcase, then you can catch the band in action this weekend when Charles Henderson hosts the 44th Annual Sound of the South Marching Festival at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Blue Machine will not be judged during this competition, but they will perform at dinner break.

Bands from Alabama, Florida and Georgia will be in attendance, and everybody is invited to come see the show and to cheer on the Blue Machine.

Cardenas said the festival is a fun combination of music and spectacle. “You would be amazed at the shows some of these bands put on,” Cardenas said. “The kids at Charles Henderson have worked really hard to get where they are from band camp to right now.”

“I think it shows the dedication that these kids have,” Cardenas said. “During the marching band season, the marching band becomes their family. When they get that superior rating, you can see the excitement on their faces especially when it is announced on the field.”