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For the fourth year in a row, the Air Academy Marching Band triumphs in another State Championship!  After six months of drilling all summer as well as during and after school hours, their hard work finally paid off at the state competition on Saturday, October 26, 2013.

Since the end of May, the marching band, along with the color guard, has been vigorously practicing to perfect their show.  Along with a relentless three-week, day-long camp during the summer, band rehearsals intensified as the school year started. Members practiced during third block and into lunch every day,  with after school practices on Thursdays, and additional after-school sectionals.

Many non-band students have doubted whether or not the experience would be worth the amount of practices and the time-consuming effort put into the production.  However, band members assure those students that they don’t practice as much as other schools.  The reason for this is due to the fact that their practices are insanely intense and focused, so they get more done in a smaller amount of time.  When asked what he or she thought about the time consumption, almost anyone in band will say that all the work put into it definitely paid off.

Though “Marching Band State Champions” is the buzz around the school, this year the marching band also went to Super-Regionals in St. Louis, Missouri before the state competition.  Super-Regionals is a lot like Nationals, in that schools come from all around the country to compete.  The tension and rivalry shared between the different marching bands was tangible as they prepared to perform the show they’d been practicing for the past six months.  Walking into the competition, Air Academy did not expect to make it very far, as no band from Colorado had made finals for a while.  Intimidated but determined, the Air Academy Marching Band walked onto the field ready to crush the 63 other exceptional marching bands from all over the country.  Despite their doubts, they got 8^th place in Prelims (the first round), and pulled out in the end with the 13^th place trophy.  To have the band recognized on a national level was beyond the hopes of many of the members.

On October 26, the Band travelled to Ft. Collins, Colorado, set out to blow their competition out of the water.  The competition started out with all of the 4A bands in Colorado.  All but the top eight (including Air Academy) were eliminated in regionals, quarter finals, or semi-finals.  The last eight bands then performed in finals on Saturday night for the State Championship title, where the Air Academy Marching Band once again earned their title as State Champions.

For this year’s senior band members, winning the State Championship is all they have ever known.  Not only did our band win State for the fourth time in a row, but are now recognized as one of the top bands in the nation.  Once again, we congratulate the AA Marching Band in their victories this season!