THE EARLY 1980'S

Membership in the conference grew rapidly during the early 80's. By 1980 the NYSFBC Championships included 38 bands. 1980 also marked the first year the NYSFBC Championship show was held at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. In 1982 the conference reorganized the classifications into an Open Class, Class AA, Class A and Novice. The NYSFBC continued to grow in membership as many bands from western Pennsylvania and Ohio joined the circuit. Some of those bands included; McDowell, Northwestern, Harborcreek, Cathedral Prep., and Academy from the Erie area, Bradford, Keystone and Meadville, Pa. and Harbor HS from Ashtabula, Ohio. Other bands such as Jamestown, Horseheads, Bishop Kearney, Mohawk, Mohonasen, Central Square, Victor, and Aquinas of Rochester entered active competition. Cicero and North Syracuse High Schools merged into one school and began competing as the CNS Northstars in 1982. Leading contenders during the early 80's included; West Genesee, CNS and Liverpool in Open Class, Jordan-Elbridge, Canandaigua Academy, Marcus Whitman, East Syracuse-Minoa and New Hartford in Class AA, Montrose, Pa, Chenango Valley, Clinton, Gloversville and Medina in class A. Bands were moving away from symmetrical drill patterns. Color guards and percussion lines were expanded and became a featured part of shows. Baton corps, pom lines and swing flags started to disappear. If you attended a NYSFBC show during the early 80's you might have heard these selections; Malaguena, Selections From Evita, Come In From The Rain, Music From Cats, Chorale and Shaker Dance, Ice Castles, New York, New York and numerous classical selections by such composers as Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Dvorak and Orff.

1985-1989 >>