Congratulations! Chief Sealth band wins $5,000 in contest

That’s the clip we showed you last month with news that Chief Sealth International High School‘s Marching Band was back in the KZOK “Battle of the Bands” competition – the only Seattle school in the running. Today, band director Marcus Pimpleton is thanking everyone for the support that helped Sealth come in second (here’s the news on the KZOK website) – which brings a $5,000 prize! The competition included both public voting and expert judging. So what will the money go toward? we asked. Here’s the reply:

Right now the funds will just be sitting in our music ASB account until we determine which of our many priorities needs attention first. We have a few things we are hoping to fund this year – additional band uniforms and mallet percussion instruments are currently at the top of the list, but our jazz band is auditioning for the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition in New York. Our acceptance is a long shot but the students are working very hard and if they are accepted it is a possibility that we may have to delay acquiring more band uniforms and use funds to support that.

5 Replies to "Congratulations! Chief Sealth band wins $5,000 in contest"

  • Aman December 16, 2011 (11:22 am)

    WOW! No easy feat. CONGRATULATIONS!

  • transplantella December 16, 2011 (2:38 pm)

    Great performance! Thanks for posting this video WSB.

    We had a summer intern this year who was in the Sealth band. He worked for us all day, went to band practice after work, and marched in band parades nearly every weekend.

    I heart band kids.

  • NorDel December 17, 2011 (8:27 am)

    Mr. Pimpleton is the reason my daughter just took up the trombone! She is nine and loves the overwhelming feeling you get when you hear bands like his perform! CONGRATS!!

    Is that Keith Rousu judging?? Man, that guy is EVERYWHERE! I have a special place for him (and his family) in my heart as well!

  • pam December 17, 2011 (9:34 am)

    CSI HS band was awesome at the CSI/WS game last night as well! They are truly an amazing band and definitely deserve the honor of this award!

    • WSB December 17, 2011 (9:48 am)

      I’m putting together the game story now from our reporter/videographer who was there … don’t know if we have the band in it, but we’ve shot them many a time all season … most recently at the Macy’s Parade right after Thanksgiving. Oh wait, I’m previewing the clip from the end of the boys’ game and there they are in the background with the fight song :) – TR

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