Indiana State School Music Association

Indiana Dairy Farmers Sponsor Finest Marching Band Contest in Nation

Students Refuel with Prairie Farms Milk after Competition

Over 200,000 music students get the message that ‘winners drink milk’ throughout the year thanks to Indiana dairy farmers’ sponsorship of Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) events. The sponsorship is coordinated by Milk Promotion Services of Indiana. ISSMA holds the finest marching band contest in the nation according to the judges from all across the country who were in Indianapolis for the recent Marching Band State Finals.

While dairy farmers were home milking, their check-off program was working. Milk commercials featuring local dairy farmers were played on the jumbo video boards in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the 12-hour marching band competition. Nearly 30,000 spectators and performers viewed those spots.

Four Indiana high school marching bands won $1,000 scholarships from Indiana's dairy farmers plus a drink from the victory bottle of milk for their championship performances at the 2011 ISSMA Marching Band State Finals. Each school took top honors in its division. The winners were Homestead, Concord, Western and Lewis Cass in classes A through D respectively. Each member of each competing band also received an ice-cold pint of Prairie Farms’ white, chocolate, strawberry or Crave latte milk after their performance. Prairie Farms Dairy donated all the milk served to the band members.

Additional $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to the state champion schools in concert band, mixed chorus, orchestra and state show choir finals by Indiana's Dairy Farmers, exclusive corporate sponsor of all ISSMA events.

Class A Homestead HS

Class B Concord HS

Class C Western HS

Class D Lewis Cass HS

Milk – The Official Beverage of ISSSMA Events

The 38th annual ISSMA Marching Band season stepped off with District Festivals on October 3rd at seven Indiana sites. The Indiana Dairy Farmers, corporate sponsor for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA), fund, support and promote music education activities throughout Indiana. 200,000 students participate in music events under the leadership of the ISSMA. The State Marching Band Competition involves more than 16,000 of these students from 174 high schools.

Those bands reaching a predetermined score at District will advance to Regional events held at four locations on October 16th. Bands Enter in Class A, B, C and D according to the size of school with Class A being the largest. The top twenty scoring band in each of the four classes from the Regional sites will meet at four Semi-State sites in the Indianapolis area on October 23rd to determine the 10 bands in each class that will participate in the 38th Annual State marching Band Finals. This year’s Finals will be held on October 30th at the Lucas Oil Stadium, where the four State Champion bands will be crowned.

The Indiana Dairy Farmers will present a $1,000 scholarship to a student from each of the four State Champion bands. "There is no greater drink than milk to be the official beverage of ISSMA events!” commented Jenni Purcell, Registered Dietitian. Purcell continued, “It’s such a great way to fuel up with the nutrition students need to be competition ready.”

American Dairy Association of Indiana, Inc./Indiana Dairy Farmers, corporate sponsor for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA), fund, support and promote music education activities throughout Indiana. 200,000 students participate in music events under the leadership of the ISSMA. It is important for these students to have a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutrient rich foods and including daily physical activity. It's also vital these students drink milk to get the nutrition they need to be competition ready.

North Central High School Women's Show Choir

Tim Haynes with DeKalb High School representatives.

Goshen - State Finalist

North Central Concert Band Champions