Northridge : CSUN Matadors Win State Band Contest

Cal State Northridge’s Matador Marching Band captured top honors at an annual statewide competition held earlier this month in Simi Valley, the university has announced.

The 112-member unit took first place in the Royal Classic Field Show’s college band division, said Director Gary Pratt. In addition, the Matador color guard and drum line took sweepstakes awards in the college category.

Sponsored by Royal High School in Simi Valley, the competition drew more than two dozen participants from schools throughout California, Pratt said.

During the event, CSUN’s band debuted an original, 12-minute work titled “City Sketches: Life on the Streets of L.A.” Set to music composed by Pratt, the piece uses sound and choreography to symbolize the rhythm of Los Angeles.

“Every year we strive to do better,” Pratt said, adding that the most enjoyable aspect of leading the band is “working with the students and watching them grow and develop.”

This year’s win was especially sweet, he said, because the 1994 earthquake forced the band to find new rehearsal space on what has become a crowded campus. Their usual spot, a grass field beside the music building, remains filled with trailers substituting for classrooms.