A marching band kicked out of a football game for playing music? Grimsley Senior High School's band was escorted out of a game against Varina in Virginia following a disagreement about playing while the ball was in play. Ashlee Amos, Bill “Woody” Woodward, Bobbey Biddle and Hayley Harrington discuss what happened and where the line falls between football rules and band traditions.

In more marching arts news: a West Jordan police officer helps Tooele High School's marching band after an equipment trailer breaks down on I-80; Blessed Sacrament celebrates its 90th anniversary; and Music for All names Holly Blake, Matthew B. Carter, Cheryl Floyd and Dan Potter to its 2027 Hall of Fame class.

60-Second Tech Block: Woody tackles program coordinators, staff responsibilities, communication, budgets and program leadership. Water We Doing?! Why aren't more contests under the lights? Why so much Phantom of the Opera? Is fluttering replacing traditional drill? And are educators juggling too many teaching seasons? Plus Gush & Go.

Chapters
00:00 Preview
00:56 Welcome
01:45 Tooele Band Trailer Breakdown
04:14 Grimsley Band Removed from Football Game
11:47 Blessed Sacrament Turns 90
15:10 Music for All Hall of Fame
16:37 Previously on OAWB
18:09 Guard Closet
19:47 60-Second Tech Block
21:50 What Does a Program Coordinator Do?
23:55 Leadership & Accountability
28:29 Budgets & Staff
31:34 Communication
34:57 Mentorship & Hiring
41:50 Water We Doing?!
42:23 Performing Under the Lights
52:32 Phantom of the Opera
58:49 Fluttering vs. Traditional Drill
1:05:52 Teaching Multiple Seasons
1:13:45 Gush & Go
1:13:58 Bobbey
1:20:18 Hayley
1:25:07 Woody
1:28:26 Ashlee
1:31:19 Close

Hosts: Ashlee Amos (@famousamossss_), Bill “Woody” Woodward (@remoking100), Bobbey Biddle (@bobbey107), Hayley Harrington (@h_harrington14).

Sources:
Grimsley — FOX8/WGHP syndicated report: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/grimsley-marching-band-kicked-high-150524211.html
Tooele — original KJZZ URL pending verification.
Blessed Sacrament — https://www.wgi.org/blessedsacrament90/
Music for All — https://musicforall.org/2027-hall-of-fame-inductees/

Presented by Guard Closet: https://www.guardcloset.com/ (@guardcloset)

On A Water Break: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/ | Listen: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/links | News: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news | Team: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/team | Join: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/join-us | @onawaterbreak

Related: S4EP40 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtQreB75ItY

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

DCI’s 2027 World Class field is getting bigger. Chris Rutt, Grantis Peranda and Jeremy Svoboda break down the Mandarins’ approved return after a one-year hiatus and Gold and The Battalion moving from Open Class into DCI World Class beginning in 2027.

The panel also remembers longtime Drum Corps World publisher and DCI Hall of Fame member Steve Vickers. Grantis takes the 60 Second Tech Block with practical fall color guard costuming advice: choose something that serves the show, survives the field, fits performers well and helps them feel confident. Water We Doing?! tackles recycled and overcomplicated show concepts, copyright and licensing frustrations, and performing in extreme weather.

CHAPTERS
00:00 DCI 2027 Headlines
00:41 Welcome + News
01:17 Mandarins Return to DCI
03:08 Remembering Steve Vickers
07:10 Gold + The Battalion Join World Class
12:52 What You May Have Missed
14:29 Guard Closet
16:08 60 Second Tech Block
17:17 Fall Color Guard Costuming
29:23 Water We Doing?!
33:04 Copyright & Marching Arts
35:55 Extreme Weather + Performer Safety
40:50 Gush & Go
46:42 Final CTA + Closing Rehearsal

PANEL
Chris Rutt — @wildhornbrass1
Grantis Peranda — @grantisimo_p
Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today — @drumcorpstoday

NEWS & RESOURCES
Mandarins approved to return to the DCI Tour in 2027
Remembering Steve Vickers — Drum Corps International
Gold + The Battalion approved for DCI World Class in 2027

RELATED OAWB
S4EP39 — WGI 2027 Waitlists, Percussion Changes + Practice Makes Permanent
S4EP38 — Marching Arts News + Color Guard Tech Advice

MORE OAWB
OnAWaterBreak.com | Listen Everywhere | Marching Arts News | Meet the Team | Join Us | YouTube
Instagram / Facebook / TikTok: @onawaterbreak

PRESENTED BY GUARD CLOSET
GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

WGI’s new Color Guard Chief Judge Denise Bonfiglio joins Trish O’Shea and Sadie Wallace for a special installment of the WGI 50th Anniversary Series — looking back at nearly 50 years of winter guard history and ahead to what comes next.

Denise has been part of WGI since its earliest years as an instructor, designer, adjudicator and educator. She revisits the programs that transformed color guard, explains why WGI’s promotion system is working, discusses growing championship waitlists and venue capacity, and takes us inside the process that led to her becoming WGI Color Guard Chief Judge. She also traces her role in WGI’s adjudication philosophy, mentoring judges, and the challenge of coordinating roughly 380 judging assignments for the season.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome — Denise Bonfiglio joins OAWB
00:36 Trish, Denise & Sadie reconnect
01:22 WGI’s 50th anniversary
05:33 Color guards that changed WGI
14:44 Could anyone have imagined 50 years?
16:39 Scholastic World growth
20:09 Why the promotion system works
22:48 Waitlists & championship venue capacity
23:58 Denise’s road to WGI Color Guard Chief Judge
26:36 WGI adjudication philosophy
28:58 Mentorship and training judges
30:54 What the Chief Judge job requires
31:24 Roughly 380 judging assignments
33:39 Dale Powers & Emerald Marquis memories
35:51 Looking toward WGI 2027
39:09 Closing

GUEST
Denise Bonfiglio — WGI Color Guard Chief Judge

HOSTS
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Sadie Wallace — @m.sadiewallace

WATCH MORE WITH DENISE
Denise Bonfiglio’s first OAWB interview + 32 Count Life Story

OFFICIAL WGI RESOURCES
Denise Bonfiglio Named Color Guard Chief Judge
WGI 50th Anniversary Opening Ceremonies
2027 WGI Color Guard Calendar

RELATED OAWB
Greg Case — includes OAWB’s earlier coverage of Denise’s appointment

MORE ON A WATER BREAK
Website | Listen Everywhere | Marching Arts News | Meet the Team | Join Us

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