The marching band and color guard performed in the Western Band Association (WBA) championships in Fresno, California, on Saturday, November 17. The band, which performs in a class AA division, came in sixth place overall out of 18 other bands, scoring a total of 81.05 out of 100. Although the band did not win any individual awards, according the the scores, Los Altos came in third out of 18 in regards to music.

“[The competition] was definitely our best show, especially for color guard,” drum major and senior Megan Stewart said.

A huge portion of both the band and the color guard this year is made up of “newbies.” Yet, despite this, returning members were very pleased with their performance.

“I was happy with what we got considering that our drumline and color guard are mostly freshmen,” junior Angella Abbey said. “They did an amazing job and I am very proud of them.”

Even though the band ended with a great performance, its trip to Fresno didn’t start out with such smooth sailing. There were some complications with transportation. One of the bus drivers was unable to drive the bus, so some band members had to travel in parents’ cars.

“Although things were a little rushed due to the complications with transportation, we managed to keep our calm and performed well,” Megan said.

This was the last competition for the marching band, but it will be participating in the Festival of Lights on Sunday, November 25. Also, in the upcoming summer, 70 members of the Instrumental Music Department will be travelling to Germany and Austria to present a 15-day concert tour. Many members are already anticipating the next season.

“I can’t wait to do it again next year,” Angella said.