On Saturday, the Blue Coat Regiment made its return appearance at the Newsome Music Festival, a sanctioned Florida Marching Band Championships regional competition, having not been since the 2013 season. Competing against eight other schools, two of which were also in Class 3A alongside the Blue Coats, the kids had their work cut out for them.

Starting the day with a four-hour rehearsal from noon to 4 o’clock, the kids were able to relax for a few hours before beginning their warm-up at 7:15pm. Within an hour they were at the holding gate, listening and watching what they could of the first Class 3A band, Wharton High School, on before them. By 8:15pm it was their turn to take the field and by 8:25pm it was all over. 

The anticipation built on until awards two hours later… but it was all worth it!

Earning a score of 81.75 the band placed first in Class 3A and earned awards for Best General Effect, Best Visual and Best Color Guard—and finished as the first runner-up grand champion overall, coming almost within three points of the grand champion Lake Howell High School. 

This weekend marks the second Best Color Guard win for the band and their final scored appearance at an FMBC competition before State Championships on November 17 at Plant High School.

This coming Saturday, November 10, Riverview High School will play host to its fourth Florida Marching Band Championships regional competition. First hosted in 2013, Riverview’s regional used to be called the Tampa Bay Fall Music Games; this event was repeated again in 2015. For their 2017 event, the date given to Riverview fell on Veterans Day, November 11, so the competition was re-themed to honor the men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces—and that tradition continues this year.

For this year’s regional, Riverview will play host to nine visiting bands from throughout the state of Florida—and beyond! In a first for the FMBC, two bands will be competing in the brand new International Class: the Guardia Fantasma Music School Ghost Guard Band and the Colegio Universidad Libre Colombia Ambassadors. After these special international guests comes Class 1A with Hardee Senior High School and Calvary Christian High School, followed by Class 2A and 3A before Robinson High School rounds out the competition in Class 4A.

The night will end with Riverview’s own Blue Coat Regiment in an exhibition performance, their final before State Championships next weekend at Plant High School.

This past Saturday the Blue Coat Regiment made its final appearance of the 2018 season at Plant High School for the Florida Marching Band Championships Class 3A State Championships. One of 21 registered bands for the day, the band entered the field a little after 10:00am. By 10:20am the band had finished their run and exited the field.

Earning a score of 79.95 the band placed 14th overall, with the color guard earning 11th and percussion coming in 12th in their respective captions. This finish caps off a record-making season where the Blue Coat Regiment:

• took home Riverview High School’s first FMBC regional grand championship at the Lecanto High School Panther Pride Invitational Marching Band Festival; 
• earned a Straight Superior rating for the eighth time in school history at the Florida Bandmasters Association District 7 Marching Music Performance Assessment;
• and placed first in Class 3A and won Best Visual, General Effect and Color Guard and runner-up grand champion at the FMBC Newsome Music Festival.

The Blue Coats would like to thank all of their spectators and fans for cheering them on all season long and the program staff, Booster Board and family volunteers who supported them!

With the end of the historic 2018 marching season for the Blue Coat Regiment comes the beginning of the 2019 concert and indoor seasons for the Band Programs winter and springtime ensembles.

The instrumentalists of the Band Program will have several concert appearances as part of either the Concert Band (for all students) or Wind Ensemble (for advance students):

• Saturday, March 9, Concert MPA, Blake High School (Wind Ensemble)
• Thursday, April 18, 2019, Riverview Alliance Band Concert, Riverview High School (student leaders and students from Rodgers MS and Barrington MS)
• Tuesday, April 23, 2019, Jazz Band Concert, Riverview High School
• Wednesday, May 1, 2019, Spring Concert, Riverview High School (Concert Band)

Our Blue Radiance Winter Guard will begin their fifth year with the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit and will make their 2019 debut at the FFCC’s Premiere West event at Gaither High School on January 19. The team is comprised of 22 students and is led by Color Guard Program Director Herman Rios and assisted by Program Sponsor and Technician Suzanne Mason and Technician Jimmy Schlenkert. The team will compete across the state of Florida before ending with the FFCC Championships in Daytona Beach at the end of March:

• Saturday, January 19, FFCC Premiere West, Gaither High School
• Saturday, February 2, FFCC Regional, Braden River High School
• Saturday, February 9, FFCC Regional, Plant City High School
• Saturday, February 23, FFCC Regional, Riverview High School
• Saturday, March 9, FFCC Regional, Freedom High School
• Thursday, March 29 – Sunday, March 31, FFCC Championships, Daytona Beach Ocean Center

Finally, the Band Program will continue to make history by fielding the first indoor percussion team hosted at Riverview High School. The team will compete as a member of the FFCC and will be under the direction of Band Program Music and Visual Supervisor Alex Crenshaw, joined by the Blue Coat Regiment’s 2018 Percussion Writer and Instructor Daniel Melendez. Starting their season a week after the winter guard’s season opener, the percussion students will take the floor on January 26 at the FFCC’s percussion Premiere North at Winter Springs High School. The team’s season will also end in March in Daytona Beach:

• Saturday, January 26, FFCC Premiere North, Winter Springs High School
• Saturday, February 23, FFCC Regional, Riverview High School
• Saturday, March 2, FFCC Percussion Focus North, Oviedo High School
• Saturday, March 9, FFCC Regional, Freedom High School
• Thursday, March 29 – Sunday, March 31, FFCC Championships, Daytona Beach Ocean Center

Be sure to follow along on our various social media platforms and on this website for updates as the Band Program continues its tradition of excellence!

The last two weekends have seen both of the Band Program’s indoor competition ensembles—the Blue Radiance Winter Guard and the Percussion Ensemble—begin their seasons at their respective Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Premiere competitions.

The 16-member winter guard competed at Color Guard Premiere West, held at Gaither High School on January 19, in the Scholastic AA Class. One of eight teams in their class, the team earned sixth place with a score of 47.02, just .15 behind fifth place Plant City High School. 

Color Guard Program Director Herman Rios said, “I’m really confident about where this team is going. The feedback from the judges tells us that we are doing the right things in terms of show design and choreography and work given to the girls. Now it’s just a matter of executing it.”

The winter guard will compete again this upcoming Saturday, February 2 at the FFCC Braden River High School Regional. The team is scheduled to take the floor at 6:01pm. Like the Color Guard Program Facebook page here or follow the Band Program on Instagram here to stay up-to-date with the team’s progress!

One week later, Riverview’s inaugural Percussion Ensemble made their debut at Winter Springs High School for FFCC’s Percussion Premiere North in the Scholastic Marching AA Class. One of eight teams in their round—there were two rounds of AA teams, one with six and one with eight—the Percussion Ensemble earned second place with a score of 58.20.

Percussion Ensemble Director Alex Crenshaw said, “History was made today. This team is the first indoor percussion team in our school history and they placed second. I’m at a loss for words I’m so excited and pleased!”

The Percussion Ensemble will continue to finish its show and will make its next appearance at Riverview’s own FFCC regional on Saturday, February 23. Fans can follow the Percussion Ensemble’s inaugural season at the Band Program Facebook page here or on the percussion section Instagram here.

On Saturday, February 23, the Riverview Band Program welcomed more than 35 teams from throughout the state of Florida as it hosted its fifth annual Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit regional. Inaugurated as the Blue Radiance Showcase of Champions in 2015, the name was changed this year to the Riverview Showcase of Champions to be inclusive of the Band Program’s new Indoor Percussion Ensemble, whose staff, students and family members were integral to the success of the event.

Both the Blue Radiance Winter Guard and the Percussion Ensemble competed at the Showcase. The winter guard scored a 67.03, marking an almost seven point improvement over their last performance just two weeks prior at Plant City, and earned themselves third place!

Just a couple hours later the Percussion Ensemble took the floor, for only their second appearance of the season, and scored a 66.40—which earned them the first place trophy!

The Blue Radiance Winter Guard will have their final regional appearance before the FFCC Championships next Saturday, March 9 at Freedom High School in Tampa; the Percussion Ensemble will be performing at Focus North this Saturday, March 2 at Oviedo High School in their final pre-Championships competition.

This past Saturday the inaugural Indoor Percussion Ensemble traveled to central Florida to compete in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit’s Winds and Percussion Focus North competition at Oviedo High School.

Competing first out of 11 other Scholastic Marching AA Class percussion ensembles didn’t have an effect on the students’ ability to impress the judges: when it came time for the awards ceremony the team earned third place and a score of 66.30.

Focus North was the Percussion Ensemble’s final appearance before FFCC Championships March 29–31 at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. 

This past weekend the Band Program’s two indoor ensembles, the Blue Radiance Winter Guard and the Percussion Ensemble, headed east to compete one last time in the 2019 season at the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuits Championships, held in the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. 

The winter guard’s trip to the beach began on Thursday with a departure from the school in a caravan of two vans and the equipment truck (which was also loaded with the percussion’s equipment). Shortly after their arrival the team settled in for their traditional end-of-season family dinner.

Friday was the team’s performance day, where they would perform their show “Love Changes You” one last time. After a long wait for the awards ceremony, the team earned a score of 73.02 and seventh place in the Kersten Division of Scholastic Class AA—quantifying a 26-point increase from the team’s first performance at Premiere West on January 19.

Meanwhile on Friday… The Percussion Ensemble was partaking in their own family dinner, hyping each other up and preparing for their own final performance of “The Sands of Time.”

Saturday saw the departure of the winter guard members as they headed back home to Riverview and the arrival of the percussion team at the Ocean Center. After a long warm-up in the lot, the team took to the floor and then anxiously awaited the awards ceremony—which began almost nine hours later.

In the end, it was worth the wait! Scoring 66.65, the Percussion Ensemble took home the bronze medal in the Scholastic Marching Class AA McCormicks Division!! The Percussion Ensemble had already made history as the first of its kind at Riverview High School, but they are now only the second indoor ensemble to medal at FFCC Championships after the Blue Radiance Winter Guard’s second place finish in 2015. 

The 2018–2019 school year will see a change in leadership as Mr. B leaves Riverview High School to pursue his Master of Music degree in conducting at the University of South Florida. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to lead this phenomenal program. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to my staff, Booster Board, school faculty and staff, and all of our volunteers who made everything—and I do mean everything—we do possible. Of course, we would all be nothing without our students. To my students that I have worked with for the last three years: thank you. Thank you for giving all you could to our program and to the music world. Never stop bettering yourselves!” said Mr. B.

With the departure of Mr. B, a familiar face will be coming back: Mr. Davis will return to Riverview High School as the director of instrumental music leading the Band Program and Orchestra Program, a position he previously held from 2007 to 2015 and where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2010. Mr. Davis is coming back stateside after moving to Melbourne, Australia in the summer of 2016 to attend The University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Graduate School of Education where he earned his Master of Education degree in leadership and management with high distinction in December 2017. Before this international move, the 2015–2016 school year saw Mr. Davis serve as a program consultant and show writer for the Band Program as he mentored and assisted other music teachers in the school district as a full-time peer evaluator. Mr. Davis earned his Bachelor of Science degree in music education summa cum laude from Penn State and a Master of Music in wind conducting from James Madison University.

In addition to an extensive background in marching band, Mr. Davis brings a wealth of knowledge from the world of Drum Corps International, having marched baritone with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1989 and 1990 – winning world championships in the latter year; he would then go on to join the brass staff from 1993 to 1995, winning world championships again in 1993. Mr. Davis also has experience with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps from Toledo, Ohio and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps from Reading, Pennsylvania.

In Australia Mr. Davis continued to be an active member of the arts community, serving as the associate conductor of the Grainger Wind Symphony where he debuted his new piece “Brazilian Folk Song Suite” in March 2018. As a conductor, Mr. Davis has served as music director for the historic Melbourne Tramways Brass Band and as a guest conductor for the Monash Concert Band.  Mr. Davis also conducted and taught band, orchestra, drumline, and brass and percussion lessons at Sacred Heart Girls’ College in Oakleigh and the highly acclaimed Blackburn and Eltham High Schools. Mr. Davis also worked as an adjudicator for the Victorian Schools Music Festival and as a clinician for school bands in the states of Victoria and New South Wales and was selected to provide lectures and professional development training at local schools, The University of Melbourne and for the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association. He also volunteered his time on Friday evenings to serve as director of the marching band for Syrian refugee children through the Australian Syrian Charity.

“I cannot wait to be coming home to the States, let alone returning to Riverview,” said Mr. Davis. “Mr. B has done tremendous things with the Band Program and I am incredibly excited to pick things up where he left them—at an all-time high.” 

Band Program Staff Director and Assistant Marching Band Director Mr. Miller will be staying with the Band Program, as will many members of our program staff. To find out more about Mr. Davis and his many accomplishments click here.

The Riverview Band Program is proud to announce that Suzanne Mason will be joining its program staff as the new Color Guard Program Sponsor.

“Mrs. Mason brings a wealth of knowledge to the Band and Color Guard Programs and will be able to provide new and fresh perspectives to ensure the upward trajectory that Mr. B and Mr. Rios have established for the girls of Blue Radiance only continues,” said Band Program Staff Director Travis Miller. 

Mrs. Mason works full-time as a science resource teacher at Reddick Elementary School in Wimauma and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas. She has been involved in science education for more than 20 years and has experience marching with both Drum Corps International and Winter Guard International.

Mrs. Mason will work as the Color Guard Program’s chief administrator and assist and support Color Guard Director Herman Rios in operational duties with the priority focus being on the student experience. Mrs. Mason will also serve as a color guard technician, lending her knowledge gained through years as a performer to help instruct our students.

2018 Blue Radiance Color Guard Roster

The Riverview Band Program is proud to announce the members of its Color Guard Program for the 2018 marching season. These students will perform with the Blue Radiance Color Guard as part of the larger Blue Coat Regiment Marching Band for the fall marching season.

All members of the Riverview Band Program—woodwind, brass, percussion and color guard—are required to march with the Blue Coat Regiment Marching Band during the fall. In order to best prepare our students for marching season the Blue Coat Regiment undertakes summer band days and a two-week long band camp.

Our 2018 summer schedule is below. We encourage all new families to contact Staff Director Mr. Miller at travis@riverviewhsband.org to be added to our email distribution list.

Color Guard Auditions

Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17, 5:00–8:00pm

Drumline Auditions

Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12, 4:00–8:00pm

Color Guard Camp Days

Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13, 11:00am–3:00pm
Tuesday, June 26 and Wednesday, June 27, 11:00am–3:00pm
Tuesday, July 10 and Wednesday, July 11, 11:00am–3:00pm

Summer Band Days – all students

Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13, 4:00–8:00pm
Tuesday, June 26 and Wednesday, June 27, 4:00–8:00pm
Tuesday, July 10 and Wednesday, July 11, 4:00–8:00pm

Informational Meetings

Wednesday, June 13, 7:00pm
Wednesday, June 27, 7:00pm
Wednesday, July 11, 7:00pm

Band Camp – all students

Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 4:00–8:00pm
Tuesday, July 31 and Wednesday, August 1, 8:00am–8:00pm
Thursday, August 2 and Friday, August 3, 4:00–8:00pm
Saturday, August 4, 10:00am–5:00pm

Meet the Families Icebreaker

Tuesday, July 31, 6:00–8:00pm

Dinner with the Director

Saturday, August 4, 6:00pm

Summer Attendance Policy

Color guard camp days are only for members of our color guard. Members who are available to attend should attend! The world of color guard is fast-paced and new material can take a while to learn, especially for new students. Please try and accommodate your schedules to be in attendance.

Summer band days are used to help acclimate students with the transition from middle school band to a competitive high school band, so we strongly encourage all students to attend. The times posted for these are for all of our students—woodwinds, brass, percussion and color guard. Our staff and student leaders will teach students the basics of marching band and begin teaching show music and choreography—and get to know one another! While these days are not strictly mandatory, if your student is in town they should come, but if you already have plans, please enjoy your time together!

Band camp attendance is mandatory. Spots in the show are assigned to students who are at band camp, so every effort should be made to allow your student to attend all days. An absence from band camp could result in your student losing their spot in the show! Be sure to communicate any conflicts as soon as you know about them.

Originally posted April 17, 2018 – updated May 22, 2018.

All dates, times and events are subject to change, addition and/or cancellation.

The Riverview Band Program is proud to announce the selection of its drum majors and captains who will help lead the 2018 Blue Coat Regiment Marching Band over the summer and into the fall competitive season. 

Senior Leadership

Kacey Massena, Drum Major
Diane Johnson, Deputy Drum Major
Cortnee Godsey, Band Captain

Captains

Cindy Kenneth, Woodwind Captain and Uniform Captain
Raul Pereira, Brass Captain
Jaziah Nichols, Percussion Captain, Drumline
Life Glencer, Percussion Captain, Front Ensemble
Stacie Carey, Color Guard Captain
Carley'Ann McCall, Color Guard Captain
Marcus Torres, Uniform Captain
Jennifer Stephens, Uniform Captain
Braelynn Bolger, Uniform Captain

Congratulations to these outstanding young musicians! Selections for section leaders will be announced in due course.

Students looking to join the Riverview Band Program drumline should plan to attend our two days of auditions on Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12 from 4:00–8:00pm. 

For more information please contact Band Program Staff Director Mr. Miller at travis@riverviewhsband.org.

Yesterday, Wednesday, May 24, Riverview High School held its graduation ceremony at the Florida State Fairgrounds where over 550 students crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and celebrate the end of their high school careers.

Of these students, 25 were members of the Band Program—and we could not be more proud!

We wish the very best to our now former members in all of their future endeavors, whether they attend a higher education institution, join our armed forces or focus on their careers—we know they will all continue the Riverview tradition of excellence!

For the 2018 marching season the Blue Coat Regiment will be attending two Florida Marching Band Championships regionals, hosting its fourth FMBC regional—The March—and attending the FMBC State Championships. Additionally, the Blue Coats will participate in the annual Florida Bandmasters Association District 7 Marching Music Performance Assessment. 

Making their competition debut on October 13 at Lecanto High School for the Panther Pride Invitational Marching Band Festival, this will mark the first appearance of the Blue Coat Regiment in this region of the state for an FMBC regional. The band will then take one week off before beginning their final four-week push to the end on October 27 with Marching MPA at Gaither High School, followed by the Newsome Music Festival at Newsome High School on November 3.

Following that, the Band Program will then host its own regional—The March—on November 10, a day designed to honor those who have served our nation’s armed forces and to recognize the dedication of those in the marching and pageantry arts. The band’s final weekend will see them taking the field for the FMBC State Championships on November 17.

In addition to their competition schedule, the Blue Coats will also appear at all home and most away games to support the Riverview Sharks varsity football team. The band will perform at the following games: Friday, August 24 vs. East Bay; Friday, August 31 at Freedom; Friday, September 7 vs. Chamberlain; Friday, September 21 vs. Newsome; Friday, September 28 homecoming vs. Steinbrenner; Friday, October 5 at Alonso; Friday, October 12 at Strawberry Crest; Friday, October 19 vs. Manatee and Friday, October 26 at Sarasota Riverview.

On October 19, Riverview High School will honor graduating members of the class of 2019 of the Blue Coat Regiment, varsity football team and cheerleading. This night will is also Middle School Band Night, where the band will welcome incoming 9th graders from feeder middle schools.

Note: this schedule is subject to change, cancellation and/or addition.

Saturday, October 13. The temperature reached 86° F with not a cloud in the sky. The Blue Coat Regiment Marching Band made its 2018 Florida Marching Band Championships season debut at the Lecanto High School Panther Pride Invitational Marching Band Festival—and it would be a day to remember.

After an early morning departure from Riverview, the band began its warm-up—the first of two as this regional was done in a prelims/finals format—at 12:15pm, and in another hour it was time for their first performance. It would be almost another two hours before the results from prelims would be in, but it was worth the wait!

The band earned a score of 68.825 and 2nd place for the first portion of the competition, which placed them in performing at the penultimate spot for finals right before the Steinbrenner High School Marching Warrior Brigade, the champions from prelims. 5:30pm came around, and so did the second warm-up of the day. By 7:00pm the band was off the field and awaiting the results from finals. 

7:53pm. Anticipation had been buzzing as places 11th through 3rd were announced. In 2nd place… Steinbrenner High School with a score of 71.825.

The Blue Coat Regiment had earned the grand championship—the first earned at an FMBC regional in the school’s history—with a score of 73.750. In addition, the band earned overall awards for Best General Effect, Best Visual and Best Color Guard.

On Riverview’s first ever time performing in both prelims and finals at the same event, they earned the grand championship and made history.

A huge thank you goes out to all of our staff members, our Booster Board and our amazing volunteers for all of the dedication and hard work given in support of our students!!

The band has its next performance on Saturday, October 27 at Gaither High School for the annual Florida Bandmasters Association District 7 Marching Music Performance Assessment.

On Saturday, October 27 the Blue Coat Regiment Marching Band entered Gaither High School’s Death Valley Stadium for the 2018 Florida Bandmasters Association District 7 Marching Music Performance Assessment. This annual events sees all of Hillsborough County’s public high school marching bands converge on one site for their evaluation in the captions of visual performance, music—assessed by two judges—color guard and percussion. Each judge can award a rating of either Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor.

The Blue Coat Regiment earned a Straight Superior rating, meaning each judge awarded the group the highest rating of Superior—the eighth time the marching band at Riverview has earned this honor. The date also marked the 16th overall Superior rating or better in Riverview’s history (in addition to the eight Straight Superior ratings the marching band has also earned eight overall Superior ratings).

On Saturday, the Blue Coat Regiment made its return appearance at the Newsome Music Festival, a sanctioned Florida Marching Band Championships regional competition, having not been since the 2013 season. Competing against eight other schools, two of which were also in Class 3A alongside the Blue Coats, the kids had their work cut out for them.

Starting the day with a four-hour rehearsal from noon to 4 o’clock, the kids were able to relax for a few hours before beginning their warm-up at 7:15pm. Within an hour they were at the holding gate, listening and watching what they could of the first Class 3A band, Wharton High School, on before them. By 8:15pm it was their turn to take the field and by 8:25pm it was all over. 

The anticipation built on until awards two hours later… but it was all worth it!

Earning a score of 81.75 the band placed first in Class 3A and earned awards for Best General Effect, Best Visual and Best Color Guard—and finished as the first runner-up grand champion overall, coming almost within three points of the grand champion Lake Howell High School. 

This weekend marks the second Best Color Guard win for the band and their final scored appearance at an FMBC competition before State Championships on November 17 at Plant High School.