SHERBURNE – For the first time in more than a decade, the Sherburne-Earlville High School band is being pitted against one another in a competition for bragging rights and the title of “best” musicians.

Under counsel of S-E Band Director Jeff Manwaring, the band’s been split into two, each half getting a student conductor and a nearly even number of their bandmates to play an arrangement selected by students.

Both bands have been rehearsing for weeks. Their intent? To earn the highest score from a panel of judges comprised of music teachers from the S-E elementary, middle and high schools.

“I think they’re doing really well, and they’re going to be ready to perform,” said Manwaring.

This is the first Battle of the Bands S-E has hosted since 2004. And given the involvement of students – and the learning opportunities – it’s something likely to continue in the coming years, Manwaring said.

“I get to see just how much they can do on their own without spoon-feeding them all the dynamics, the articulations, and all those tiny things that they’ve gotten used to getting from me. So it puts a lot of weight on the performers because their conductors have a hard enough time keeping time and getting through the score. It puts more weight on all the musicians to step up to the plate to do all the little things to make the piece work.”