IWU Marching Wildcats were awarded third place in the Metallica Band Competition on Jan. 30, receiving $10,000 for their 2025 submission.
The $10,000 reward will be in equipment; it is not yet known precisely how it will be divided, but possibilities include new instruments or electronics.
“With Metallica, they were saying you could just use our music, and you don’t have to buy the rights to it.” Professor Flanagin said. “In a lot of ways, this show helped save some money, and we were able to put that money into other areas to make it better.”
The Marching Wildcats prepare two shows a year, which are performed during IWU football halftime shows. The 2025 season featured Metallica music and a show based on the Wicked Soundtrack.
It is a quick turnaround as the band gears up for competition, with only weeks to prepare and perfect their show, and marching band students arrive on campus one week before orientation.
Alexis Brooks, a freshman in the color guard, experienced the IWU marching band for the first time this season.
“The environment was exhilarating, you really have to plug hard, but they definitely gave us plenty of time to take breaks and take time to ourselves,” Brooks said.
The process of preparing the submission for competition can be lengthy; not only do the musicians have to learn the music and steps, but beforehand, Professor Blankenship, director of athletic bands, must send the music to be arranged and written specifically for the band.
“I planned on doing three recordings of the final show, but due to circumstances out of my control, there were a lot of sicknesses and absences,” Blankenship said. “So, I decided to record it one last time, and I’m so glad we did because it proved to be very successful.”
After submitting on Nov. 1, the Marching Wildcats were told to wait for the results by the first of the year, not realizing they’d be waiting until the first of 2026.
It is first reviewed by a group of marching band judges, who narrow it down to the top five in their division. The band Metallica makes the final decision on who wins the cash prizes.
Metallica first shared IWU’s success on their Facebook page, then on their website, and finally it was broadcast on Sirius XM’s Metallica Station.
In the future, the Marching Wildcats have expressed interest in exploring more competitions like the Metallica competition.
“There’s really not a lot out there, so it’s interesting to see what others do, I could see us doing stuff like that, we’re always trying to figure out what the next concert is,” said Flanagin.
The marching band is not practicing right now, but students are involved in other activities, such as the wind ensemble.
IWU Marching Wildcats’ 2025 season was recognized on a national level, providing them with resources to support future growth and affirming the hard work they put in all year to put their best selves on the field.
