Lakeside High School hosted 20 marching bands from throughout southwestern Arkansas Tuesday for the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association's Region II Marching Assessment.
Students performed for more than five and a half hours Tuesday evening on Lakeside's Austin Field and 14 of the participating bands were rewarded with First Division ratings. The Lake Hamilton High School Power Band of Arkansas capped the night with the final performance three days after winning the Championship at the Rock competition at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
"I feel really proud to have accomplished what we did during the two recent performances," Ashley Osburn, a senior clarinet player in the Power Band, said.
"What we have done together as a group is something I couldn't do anywhere else. It brings me so much joy every time I get to perform with my family. The two performances were amazing and couldn't ask for anything better."
Lake Hamilton, the only Class AAAAA band in the regional event, earned First Division ratings from all three judges, Robert Hesse, Josh Jackson and Joe Trusty. The Arkansas High School Razorback Marching Band from Texarkana, Hot Springs Trojan Marching Band and the Showband of Lakeside earned First Division in Class AAAA.
The Fountain Lake Cobra Marching Band and Leopard Marching Band from Malvern in Class AAA both earned First Division. Bismarck High School's marching band and the Legend of Jessieville were each assessed First Division in Class AA.
Fountain Lake, Hot Springs, Lakeside and Malvern were among 27 bands from Arkansas and Texas to compete Saturday in the Championship at the Rock. Lake Hamilton has won the competition each of the seven years it has been held.
"It is a great accomplishment to have won the Championship at the Rock in Little Rock for this many years, but this year was different," Devon Graves, a senior saxophone player for Lake Hamilton, said. "We have had many more adversities to overcome this year, but, in order to be successful, we have to put those adversities behind us and just do what we know how to do.
"I absolutely love being a part of this family because of what we do and how we do it. I'm very happy to say that my high school years would not have been the same without this program and I wouldn't change my time here for anything else."
Lake Hamilton students earned overall caption awards in Music, Visual and General Effect. The Power Band distanced itself in the finals with a 4-point margin over Cabot High School and Atlanta High School from Texas.
Next up for 17 of the 20 bands from Region 11 is the ASBOA State Marching Assessment Monday and Tuesday at War Memorial Stadium. Classes A, AA and AAA are scheduled to perform on Monday. Classes AAAA and AAAAA are scheduled for Tuesday.
Monday's schedule includes Jessieville, 9:30 a.m.; Magnet Cove, 11:30 a.m.; Malvern, 5 p.m.; and Fountain Lake, 5:30 p.m. Slated for Tuesday are Lakeside, 12:15 p.m.; Hot Springs, 1 p.m.; and Lake Hamilton, 4:30 p.m.
The Power Band is scheduled as one of the final three to perform at state. The Bentonville Pride Marching Band and Van Buren Senior High School are scheduled for 4:45 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.
Lake Hamilton students are scheduled to travel to Indiana for the Bands of America Grand National Championships Nov. 9-11. The competition is held each year at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
Local on 10/26/2017