Echoes bounced around the Alamodome, announcing the band’s arrival. Apprehension and excitement permeated through the cold air. Bands of America was about to start which could potentially become a stepping stone for our school’s band program.

Bands of America San Antonio is a major marching band championship. This year, the competition is even more cutthroat. Multiple bands from all around Texas and even Indiana came to fight for the trophy of becoming the top marching band. This year was our band’s first year competing.

“I wanted us to experience what it was like to be at a huge contest like that,” band director Kim Shuttlesworth said.

This year’s BOA was our band program’s time to make a statement for who they were, and ultimately determine the future of the program.

“I’ve gone to BOA San Antonio for three years and it doesn’t get less scary,” junior and trumpet player Viola Fieglein said. “It could be either your last performance, or one of the most important performances you do just because it’s in the hardest competition of the BOAs.”

Even with anxiety amongst the members, our band performed excellently, placing in their AA class with third place.

“I was really proud,” Shuttlesworth said. “The performance went really well and I could finally relax. I know that we had done the best we could at that time.”

After a great score at BOA San Antonio, band had an amazing time watching other schools play and becoming closer as a marching band family.

“It’s a fun place to be and makes me want to be in band,” Fieglein said. “Everytime I go there, I experience the same thing. I’m more than happy because I’m with my family— people I know that I can trust and that are having the same experience with me.”