HPHS Band took home the title of LAUSD Champs for the third time in a row, this time as a 5A division band.
Every year at the end of marching band’s season, LAUSD hosts the Annual Band and Drill Team Championships at Los Angeles Pierce College.
In this one day event, High Schools across the district are sorted into divisions depending on the size of the band to compete for first, second, and third place.
For the past three years, HPHS marching band and Color Guard have taken first place for their thematic, musicality, marching, and drills.
This year, under the theme of “City Lights” the band took on a challenging performance, under the direction of Drum Major: Xavier Morales, Assistant Drum Major: Edwin Negrete, Band Captains: Azul Zatarin, Ariana Abarca, Vanessa Delgadillo, Bryan Farias, and Colorguard Captains: Xiomara Garcia and Wendy Sanchez.
However, this year their win was unexpected after a rough start in previous competitions, where they placed last place.
With many new underclassmen, coaches absent most of the time, and Mrs. Anthony on maternity leave for the first half of the semester, the Marching Band struggled to keep their winning streak from previous years.
“I tried my best to be [an authority figure]…it was a rough start… we faced a lot of challenges,” says Drum Major Xavier Morales.
Their first competitions resulted in losses as the band ended in last place. Yet despite challenges, perseverance broke through even in the band’s lowest moments.
“After the first competition everyone was…down…but I kind of reminded them that we’re not always going to be the best… [I reminded] them that it’s okay,” explained Azul Zatarin, Drumline Captain.
Through group effort, revision, and extreme practices, Marching Band and Color Guard prepared for their last show at LAUSD Champions.
The show consisted of four movements, “A Busy Day in NYC,” “A Stroll through Central Park,” “A Storm in Central Park”, and “On Broadway,” each representing a different theme and aspect of the show.
An emotional turmoil that touched many hearts, showed a significant improvement from previous competitions.
Going from last place, to first, with a total score of 74.00 out of 100.00 demonstrated the band’s breakthrough once more.
Written by Monserrath Bucio, News Editor