On November 16, The Woodlands High School Marching Band took top honors at Bands of America’s Grand National Championship in Indianapolis, IN at the Lucas Oil Stadium. Known as the premiere high school marching band competition in the nation, the event featured a very elite field of bands from across the country looking to take home the trophy. Approximately 90 bands competed during the preliminary competition on November 14 and November 15. Of those, 36 bands advanced to semi-finals on Saturday morning. Saturday night, 12 of those bands competed in finals, and five of those 12 finalists represented Texas schools. By the end of the competition, The Woodlands scored an average of 96.8 after winning every round, and received awards for Outstanding Music Performance and Outstanding General Effect, and took first place in Class AAAA.
The band’s energetic and moving performances in a show titled “Crossing Boundaries” truly took the crowd on a moving journey, and proved to be one of the crowd favorites of the season. An unparalleled, impressive routine, the “Crossing Boundaries” performance featured stellar music, marching, and detailed choreography, including the utilization of railroad crossing gates and student performers acting as train conductors. In addition, the performance implemented visual images and soundscapes of trains and locomotives. As a result of their performance, The Woodlands High School Marching Band has received praise from other contestants, audience members, the school, community, city of Houston, and even marching band experts.
Prior to winning the top honor at the Bands of America National Competition, a national marching band contest circuit that holds competitions across the country under the umbrella organization of Music for All, The Woodlands High School Marching Band has enjoyed a plethora of success. In October, the band won the 2013 BOA Conroe Regional Championship after competing against 27 bands. Roughly a month later, they surpassed 63 bands at the San Antonio Super Regional Championship and earned another first place award. However, their recent feat in Indianapolis marks the sixth time that the band has been a finalist on a national level. Their success throughout the year has proved to be a tremendous honor for the school, The Woodlands community, and the city of Houston.