Lake Orion’s performance of ‘Facing Rage? was good enough for third place at Ford Field last Saturday, giving the marching band its best-ever finish at the Michigan Competing Band Association’s state championships.
The band competed in flight I, against the state’s top ten bands in that flight.
The LOHS score of 82.60 was over three points clear of fourth-place Milford. South Lyon took second with an 84.00, while the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park band was crowned champions with a score of 88.45.
‘The show itself was, in my six years of going to states with this band, just by far the best performance,? said director Michael Steele.
Steele credited the marchers for hitting their drill sets accurately, adding that it was musically the best he’s ever heard his band play.
‘They really outdid themselves this year and state finals was no exception,? he said.
The bands are judged on their musical and visual performances (both individually and as an ensemble), along with their ‘general effect? (which makes up 60 percent of their final score).
Lake Orion was third coming into the event, as indicated by the Championship Averaged Scores chart, behind South Lyon and PCEP.
The band’s previous best finish at state finals was sixth place in 2004. They were eighth last year.
Lake Orion was ahead of South Lyon on two of the three general effect judges? score-sheets, and was in the top three on five of the seven judges? sheets.
The band had to endure inclement weather conditions as they prepared for the performance.
‘We couldn’t get our final run-through in as we like,? Steele said, before the band boarded their buses for Ford Field.
Steele added that the warm-up downtown was different from anything the band had experienced all year.
‘I thought they handled it as best they could,? he said.
Once in the stadium, Steele said the sound was drastically different from the booming and echoing Silverdome, the longtime site of the state finals event.
‘In Ford Field the sound dies much more quickly,? he said.
The band had an 8 a.m. call time for their big day and arrived back at LOHS at around 5 p.m.
Later that night, around 11 p.m. they met for their all-night party – which Steele said made for quite a long day for everyone involved.
But Steele added that the long day was definitely worth it.
‘I’m so extremely proud of the kids,? he said.