A full house enjoyed the sights and sounds of more than 20 indoor percussion and color guard groups as Cranston High School East hosted a New England Scholastic Band Association competition for the fourth consecutive year over the weekend.

The event was held in the Cranston East gymnasium on March 16. The program opened with color guard performances followed by percussion performances.

Cranston East placed second for the day, receiving a score of 82.0 in its division. Everett High School from Massachusetts took top honors with a score of 82.5 in the division.

“It is an absolute pleasure to work with the students of the Cranston East band program and this community full of passionate caring alumni, parents, and supporters,” said Gregory Arsenault, the school’s music director. “In order to create an excellent experience for our students, it indeed takes a village. Time after time, the community of Cranston East comes together to run events like the NESBA Indoor Competition and the Thunderbolt Invitational. These events provide such rich experiences for our students and community.”

The core mission of NESBA is to provide performance opportunities for all students and use marching band and competitive performances as a tool in music and visual arts education.

“It was an exciting event to be a part of. All of the performing ensembles brought tremendous energy and excitement throughout the entire day,” said Anthony Petrocchi, a 2005 graduate and president of the Cranston East Alumni Music Association. “I would like to thank all of the parents and volunteers who dedicated their time.”

“I agree with Anthony. It takes a small village to do what we do and without the support of band parents, East alumni the local community, it would be even more challenging to put on events like Saturday and keep the East music traditions alive,” said Sata Larrabee, a member of the class of 2009 and vice president of the Cranston East Music Association. “We all remember what it was like to perform to a full gymnasium or the full stands at the Cranston Stadium, so to be able to return the favor as an alum, for the current students to have those experiences, it’s an honor.”

“Our winter percussion show this year speaks for itself – ‘One by one we form a common bond.’ The students at Cranston East have worked tirelessly all winter to perfect their routine and they did an amazing job performing as a team at their home show Saturday,” said band parent Krista Schmitz.

Parents from all over Southern New England came to watch their children compete and cheer them on. Many Cranston East alumni also attended.

“We are lucky that our school has such amazing support from the band parents, new and old, and the community in Cranston and that our kids get to learn from an incredible band director, Mr. Arsenault, who always gives 110 percent,” Schmitz said.

East has three weeks left in its season, with competitions scheduled at Mansfield High School, Shepard Hill Regional High School in Dudley, Massachusetts, and the NESBA percussion championships at Dartmouth High School.