Fresh off of hosting a band festival of their own, the Charles Henderson Blue Machine Marching Band is busy preparing for two upcoming competitions.

The band will participate in the Southern Showcase of Bands Competition in Dothan on Saturday, Oct. 13 and in Enterprise on Oct. 27 in the Southland Band Classic.

Trent Burkett, the director of the Blue Machine, said that his band is progressing and working to improve on an already solid foundation.

“We hope to do well,” said Burkett. “We are addressing some issues, and plan to be competitive.”

In order to level the playing field, each band is judged against groups from only their classification. Burkett said that some of the smaller bands have a difficult time matching up against the larger ones.

“Some of the smaller bands get lost in the sound,” said Burkett. “It is harder on the smaller ones because they do not have as much instrumentation as the larger ones, and doesn’t sound quite the same. It is good that they divide them up.”

The bands are also being judged on different marching techniques and musical fundamentals.

“We are judged on how well we do, what we do,” said Burkett. “We aren’t judged against other ones on what we play, but how well we play and march.”

The bands are judged on a scale of one through four, with one being the best score.

“All ones is our goal,” said Burckett. “We are improving and working on things, but that is the goal.”

The Blue Machine is currently selling fruit to help raise money for a trip to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2013. The band was selected to participate in the Festival of Gold in April.