by charlee beasor
INDIANAPOLIS — The Avon High School band department received another trophy and grand champion title to add to their collection Saturday when they won the 2009 Bands of America Grand National Championships here.
The title came after three days of preliminary, semi-final, and final competition and also represented the second consecutive championship win by AHS.
The field of 91 marching bands was whittled down to just 12 throughout the event at Lucas Oil Stadium. Along with the grand champion title, Avon also tied for the 2009 Outstanding General Effect Award with L.D. Bell High School from Texas.
“We applaud Avon High School for this remarkable achievement,” Music for All CEO Scott McCormick said in a press release. “To claim a Grand National Championship is an uncommon achievement, and to do so two years in a row is quite exceptional. The entire field of 12 finalists represented the very best in music and pageantry, and all 91 bands in competition this weekend brought the Indianapolis area a very enjoyable weekend of family-friendly entertainment provided by very talented student musicians from all over the country.”
Avon also won first place in its division in the 2009 Indiana State School Music Association State Marching Band Finals Oct. 31 in Indianapolis.
Band Director Jay Webb said it is a very unique experience for a band to win both the state and national competitions in the same year.
“That has not been done for at least close to 30 years,” Webb said. “I think Chesterton High School in the 1980-81 years were the last one in Indiana to win nationals and state championship in the same year. It’s pretty incredible.”
Webb said one of the keys to being such a successful marching band is preparation and teaching.
“We have ninth-graders in their first year in band, and we have seniors in their fourth year who have been through it,” he said. “It’s a process of getting all those age groups to work together and meet the same standard. We do a lot of preparation as far as teaching fundaments from a marching and a music standpoint. We practice about 300 hours outside of school in a season.”
The band was undefeated in its 14 competitions this year.
“For many of these kids this is the hardest thing they’ve ever done, the most physical thing they’ve ever done, the most mature thing they’ve ever done,” Webb said. “Watching how much the band grows as a unit from June until now is really amazing.”
Another part of the band’s success is the support they receive from the community and school, he said.
“Obviously, to have a national powerhouse band program, you have to have a ton of administrative and school support and community support,” Webb said. “At Avon, we really have. The band has a long history going back to the ‘70s, way before me. It’s a tradition at the school and community to have a visible and active marching band. The support we got this weekend was incredible. I’m really proud of my students and my organization, parents, and staff.”
Saturday’s semi-finals and finals performances were broadcast online as live webcasts by subscription and pay-per-view and are still available post-event as pay-per-view. To order the live webcast, visit the website at www.musicforall.org.
charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com
