Marching band gala opens here today

Marching band gala opens here today

JAKARTA (JP): Grand Prix Marching Band (GPMB), an annual duel
arena for all of the most prestigious marching bands in the country,
is scheduled to begin today.

Lisa Ayodya, the chairperson of the GPMB organizing committee,
said yesterday that the competition will be opened by Mrs. Tuti Try
Sutrisno, wife of the Vice President at the Istora Senayan sport
stadium in Central Jakarta.

Lisa said that the opening ceremony will also be attended by
Mrs. Hayono Isman, the wife of Youth Affairs and Sport Minister and
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja.

She said that 22 marching bands from all over the country will
compete to win First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto's trophy.

"Eight of the marching bands are coming from Jakarta, including
last year champion Korp Putri Tarakanita of the Tarakanita Catholic
school and runner-up Gita Teladan SMA 3, both from South Jakarta,"
she said.

The rest are coming from nine towns, such as Bandung in West
Java, Semarang in Central Java, Surabaya in East Java, Bali, Bontang
in East Kalimantan and Palembang in South Sumatra.

Lisa said that the budget incurred by each competing bands to
compete in GPMB, especially those from outside the city were
incredibly high with Rp 200 million for Jakarta's representatives
and Rp 400 million for others from other cities.

Lisa said the budget covers not only travel expenses and
accommodation but also costumes and the other accessories.

Some of the bands was reportedly hiring famous local designers
to make their costumes and the girls from Korp Putri Tarakanita were
wearing the design of Chossy Latu in a previous competition.

In last year's event, the Bahana Patria Patra, a marching band
whose members consist of children of the employees of state-owned
oil company Pertamina in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, spent Rp 21
million to pay Elfa Music Studio, for coaching and music
arrangement.

For covering transportation and accommodation expenses the band
have also spent an average of Rp 81 million, while the Domenico
Savio Junior High School band from Semarang has allocated around Rp
50 million for the same purpose.

Regardless of the costly budget which is needed to compete in
arena, Lisa said that the competition has given major contribution
in decreasing the rate of juvenile delinquency because all marching
bands are applying strict discipline and togetherness as well as the
skill of art and music.

"When I visited the First Lady in her residence recently, she
told me that youth activity such as marching band is effective to
help reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency," Lisa said.

Lisa said the total cost to hold this competition is estimated
at around Rp 400 million, of which 25 percent is financed by Royal
Sentul Highland, a real estate developer company.

The final round of GPMB competition will be held on Dec. 30 at
the Istora Senayan sport hall.(mas)