The last moments of Band

     This last weekend I had the incredibly amazing. I had the opportunity to go to St. George with the Marching Band and participate in the Red Rocks Competition and BOA (Bands Of America). The trip was so fun and I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to participate in such a wonderful even with my amazing band family. 

     Thursday night we had our annual banquet and the Section Leaders gave out awards (which BTW... were AWESOME!) to everyone in their section. Afterwards, we had out "party" with all the band kids from other schools.

      Friday was the Red Rocks Competition! What an exciting and scary night it was. We were able to perform at the Dixie Stadium for Red Rocks (bud sadly, not for BOA). We got Best Visual Performance and Best General Effect. Clovis West got Best Music... which is the best one!! But we still won!!!!

     Saturday is probably the scariest day of the entire trip, with Prelims AND finals all in one day. We performed Prelims and did an AMAZING show! We swept and won the whole competition and placed in finals. We performed 8th out of the 10 bands for finals and did the best show we've ever done! We did AMAZING!!!!!! I remember feeling the chills run up my spine as the announcer called out Best Visual: American Fork. Best Music: American Fork. And Best General Effect: American Fork. First place: AMERICAN FORK!!! How could I not smile? :) I was as proud and happy as ever. Once they let us all go, I couldn't help the tears from spilling. What an amazing moment and a great way to end my last year of Marching Band.

EmmaLee and I at our last BYU competition

 EmmaLee and I

 The last Band practice

 At the rest stop on our way to St. George

{Angi, Me, Melanie and Callie}

Gettin' prettied up for the partay!

{Angi, Me, Kayla, Natalie, and Melanie} 

EmmaLee and I 

At the banquet

{MY FAMILY!!! Me, Callie and Kayla} 

 On the bus with my two crazy section leaders! Sam and EmmaLee

At the banquet with my insanely GORGEOUS best friends!

{Callie, Kayla, Melanie, BreAnne, EmmaLee, me, Natalie} 

After the banquet with Michele!

{Me, Michele and EmmaLee}

 After performing prelims, eating dinner, anxiously waiting to perform one more time!

{Maddie, Callie, Kayla, Me, clarinet people, Caitlin, Angi, Melanie, and Kristen}

AFTER WINNING FINALS!!!!!!!! With our incredibly amazing drum major!

{Me, Caitlin and EmmaLee} 

 AFTER WINNING FINALS!!!!!! With our flute staff member, Michele!

{EmmaLee, Michele and Me}

AFTER WINNING FINALS!!!! All the flutes :) 

Showing our medals on the bus :)

At the St. George temple

{All the fluties}

Senior flutes and Michele!

{Kristen, Me, EmmaLee, BreAnne, Maddie and Melanie}

Monday after school, the Mayor came and congratulated us on our incredible weekend!

{The whole band, the Mayor and his wife, and Mr. Miller}

     I'm so thankful for the incredible opportunity I was able to have while being a member of the American Fork High School Marching Band. I'll never forget all the great times I've had. I'm going to miss the excitement of the first day of marching band, the first time we march to the white church for parade season, when we get to see our show music for the first time and play through it, I'll even miss band camp :). I'm going to miss the yelling staff members telling us to do better, the endless hours of M&M, the ridiculous heat, the sock tan lines. I'm going to miss performing our show for the first time, feeling the chills run up and down your spine, hearing the music, feeling the music. I'm going to miss running through the show and even chunking through it :). But the thing I'm going to miss most, is the best friends I made. I'm so thankful to everyone for making it an incredible last Marching Season. I couldn't have asked for a better year to end on :)