The Trenton R-9 Golden Bulldog Marching Band has a large number of younger students this year. According to Trenton R-9 Band Director Anthony Webb, there are 33 students in the band and color guard combined, with only four seniors. Webb says the students are doing “really well.”
Webb noted that the average number of students in the past few years has been around 33. However, he explained that COVID-19 “hit the band pretty hard,” and it has taken some time to recover.
This year’s field show theme is “That ’70s Show.”
“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire will also be the band’s parade song.
Webb likes to familiarize the band students with earlier music, explaining that many of them are not familiar with songs from past decades. He comments that introducing the songs to the students helps keep the music alive.
Laurie Bonta serves as the color guard sponsor for this season.
The Field Show will be performed during home football games and at four competitions throughout the fall.
At the Missouri Day Festival, the band will perform in Exhibition, although they will not receive point totals, judge feedback will be provided.
Webb also announced the student leaders for this year’s band.
The selection process for the drum major involves an application and an interview. Webb says that seniority is considered, but the chosen student is the one deemed most capable of leading the band.
In another announcement, the Trenton R-9 Golden Bulldog Marching Band has been invited to perform at the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., in 2026.
A travel company invited the band to participate in the 2026 Memorial Day Parade and will handle all the arrangements. The company selects bands that are growing and showing potential, aiming to feature one band from each state. Trenton is among the Missouri bands selected for this honor.
The band applied by submitting recordings of its performances, which helped secure its selection for the event.
