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)