November 17, 2011
"Absolutely incredible!" That's how Mason High School Marching Band Director Bob Bass described the group's historic trip to the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis on November 10-12. For the first time in school history, the MHS Marching Band earned a coveted spot in Finals competition and placed tenth in the nation. "This accomplishment should be considered one of the highest honors the Mason band program, school, and community has received," said Bass.
MHS performed in Preliminary competition, along with 92 other top bands from across the country. Thirty of those bands qualified to move on to Semi-Finals, and just twelve earned a spot in Finals competition on Saturday evening. According to senior Drew Sullivan, "Making Finals was that one goal a lot of us had this year. Since the band had never made Finals before, we knew it would be no easy task, and for the last two weeks, we worked so hard. For me, it's my senior year, and I just didn't want to regret anything."
Following Semi-Final competition, students, directors, and parents gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium to hear which bands would be moving on to Finals. The bands were announced in random order, but Mason fans had to wait until the eleventh finalist was named before they could celebrate. "It was a privilege to be able to experience the elation of the Mason Marching Band students and families when Mason’s name was announced as a National Finalist for the first time in school history," shared Bass. "The moment will be forever in my memory. It brought to mind all the hard work, dedication, and the vision of the students to create an atmosphere of excellence throughout the season."
MHS band members were amazed by the number of people in the stadium during Finals competition. "After our Semi-Finals runs in the past, it felt as if we had unfinished business," shared junior Mark O'Connor. "Being able to perform in front of a Finals crowd gave me the feeling that we had done what we came to do, and we could just enjoy that last run." According to senior Paige Pfennig, performing at Finals was unforgettable because of the support of everyone in the crowd. "I'll never forget looking up into the crowd and realizing that everyone there appreciated what we were doing, even the people we were competing against."
At the 2010 Grand National competition, MHS placed 14th, narrowly missing the cut for Finals. "We came so close last year," said Sullivan, "and we just wanted to push ourselves to the next level."
Band directors began working on this year's show, called "A Winter's Solstice," last December, right after Grand Nationals. Bass and MHS Band Director Ewing credit the students with the program's success. "All the planning, preparation, and quality of teaching goes to the wayside without the desire of the students to work toward excellence. Ultimately, the students have to perform the show. Once we step on the field, the influence of the staff has passed and it's up to the students. They will perform as they have prepared," shared Ewing.
Mason parent Kelly Sullivan, who has been involved in the marching band with three of her children, called this "one of the best experiences I've had as a parent." According to Sullivan, "It was such an honor and pleasure to watch this group of individuals come together to achieve their goal. You could see the dedication and hard work begin to pay off with each week of the season. It is hard to believe it was a group of high school students performing at this level. " Sullivan, who has served as a parent chaperone, has always been proud to travel with the band. "They are such great representatives of Mason Schools. I was honored when other parents stopped us and spoke highly of our students, both on and off the field."
For Bass, this experience was especially meaningful because this is his son Andrew's senior year. "Andrew has been attending the National Championship for his entire life, and his personal goal was to march on the field in Finals. After Mason's Finals performance, I raced down to the field, found Andrew, and we both walked off the field for the last time together. It was a moment I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life."
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BOA Medal: Mason High School Marching Band members received medals to acknowledge their status as BOA Grand National Finalists--a first for Mason. | |
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Snowman: Mason High School Marching Band, performing their show titled "A Winter's Solstice," placed tenth in the nation at BOA Grand National Finals in Indianapolis. | |
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