By SHERRI L. SHAULIS

By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The colors streamed across the field as the music wafted through the air.
Teenagers dressed in brightly colored uniforms looked as if they were floating across the greenery.
Strains of "MacArthur Park," "Soul Man" and even selections from "Jesus Christ, Superstar" could be heard Saturday from Youngstown State University's Stambaugh Stadium, as high school bands from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North and South Carolina took part in the Bands of America 2002 Regional Championships, presented by Yamaha.
Bands of America is a national organization dedicated to showcasing talented high school marching bands through the regional competitions.
The organization has been hosting the regional competitions, and the BOA Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, for 27 years.
First time at YSU
BOA hosts 14 regional competitions each year, but this is the first time Youngstown has hosted the event.
"We had been holding the competition in Morgantown, W.Va., at [West Virginia University] for about the last 20 years, but this time we ran into some scheduling problems," said Chuck Henson, marketing manager for BOA and announcer at Saturday's competition. "The director of the Mars [Pa.] band -- Charles Prijatelj, who graduated from YSU -- recommended that we look at moving things here.
"From the minute we walked in here, we were like 'Wow!'" he said. "It was perfect."
More than 20 bands took part in the competition, which was planned on a first-come, first-served application basis, Henson said. Some of the bands have already competed in other regional competitions hosted by BOA in places like Massillon and Toledo, Las Vegas, Indianapolis and Atlanta.
Many of the bands perform drum corps-style marching, which is more free-form than most marching bands in the Mahoning Valley perform. Sharon High School, the only local band on the list, was scheduled to perform first but pulled out at the last minute for unknown reasons, Henson said.
Criteria for judging
Judges, many of whom are collegiate band directors from across the country, critique performances on musical ability and presentation.
"It's more of a music-oriented judging sheet," said Henson.
"The performance of the music counts for about 60 percent of the final score."
Each of the bands gave a 15-minute presentation Saturday, and the top 10 competed again in the evening.
Most of the bands spend several months preparing for the competition, which is considered a highlight of their season.
Barbara Downie of Columbia, S.C., said her freshman son Seth, who plays sousaphone for The Bands of Irmo, started band camp rehearsals last July.
"It's a big thing for them," she said. "We have been state champs for the past eight years, and this competition is a big deal."
For many of the high school students, visiting Youngstown for the first time proved to be a little stressful.
"Those stands are really scary," said Gail Pietrangelo, a senior in the Westerville (Ohio) North High School band. "They are so steep. It's pretty intimidating to play to them."
Katie Keegstra, also a senior in the band, said that for her, the biggest pressure came while waiting to take the field.
"You just want to get out there and try and do your very best," she said.
slshaulis@vindy.com