FAIRFIELD – Seven high school marching bands from Maine and New Hampshire will compete at 6 p.m. Saturday at Lawrence High School. The competition is facilitated by the Maine Band Directors’ Association and will feature bands of all sizes ranging from 26 to 126 members. Saturday’s competition will be held at Pete Cooper Stadium on Keyes Field at LHS. Admission cost $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens.

The Maine Band Directors’ Marching Band season consists of five regular season shows and one final performance. The goal of every band competing is to improve from each show leading up to finals on Nov. 2. Saturday’s show will be the third show of the 2013 season and will feature bands from the following high schools: Sanford, Marshwood, Portsmouth (N.H.), Wells, Edward Little, Old Orchard Beach and Lawrence.

Lawrence High School will perform their show “Outcast”, featuring music from Disney to Lady Gaga. “This is a very exciting year for our program,” said Lawrence Director Brittany English. “We have a young talented group that is full of energy and enthusiasm. Each member of our group has to be responsible for their part of the show every time we perform. There is no second string or bench in marching band. We perform together as one unit at all times. We are all thrilled to be hosting a show on our home field. It will be a great experience for all our students to perform in front of a local audience.”

Behind the scenes the Lawrence High School Band Boosters are helping organize Saturday’s event. “It is really exciting to see the students improve each time they perform,” said Alice Gibson, President of the Lawrence Band Boosters. “Each week you see something new that they have worked on the week before.”

Rebecca Turlo, Vice-President of the Lawrence Band Boosters noted Lawrence Marching Band Alumni routinely go on to perform with other marching units such as Drum Corps International and The University of Maine Marching Band. “It is so rewarding to see our students continue on after their time at Lawrence. More Lawrence Alumni have gone on to join The University of Maine Marching Band than any other school. In fact two of sour former members have gone on to serve as Drum Major at the University of Maine last year and this.”