Two Years in a Row

We now know the Arkansas State Marching Band competition is in November, so we planned to be here for it. It was postponed from the first week in November because of rain, so was held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The Class 6A schools competed Wednesday afternoon and we were there. This is Lake Hamilton, our grandson Adler’s band, ready to go.

You would never know watching them come out onto the field that they were really nervous. Their band sent an audition tape for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and were selected. So besides preparing for their regular competitions, they were preparing for the parade. Money for costumes and props had to be tightly budgeted because taking all these kids to New York City is costing a bundle! Lake Hamilton won states last year, but a couple of schools were out to get them.

Although their props were simple, they played very well.

As usual, I forgot to take pictures during the performance, so these are from the woman next to me whose daughter is the girl in front of the fence holding her baritone horn.

Of course she didn’t take pictures of Adler, but Jamie was down near the field having helped with props again this year and she got this nice one. Adler is the tall one, he’s 6’3” now.

I love this one she caught of the horn soloist.

It’s hard to tell without a video, but these kids were moving!

Every step is choreographed.

And they really put it all together.

And in the end, although they lost best visual by a tenth of a point, they took first place overall. Here’s me getting excited while I try to video the award.

These are the drum majors, who accepted the award, and they were pretty excited, too.

So they did it, state champions two years in a row.

Adler did not want us to forget that.

And mom…

and grandparents were all pretty proud and happy, too.

Great show Lake Hamilton Powerband.

Great show Adler.