RE-CAP OF BROKEN ARROW INVITATIONAL AND ANTICIPATION FOR BOA St. LOUIS SUPER REGIONAL

The Camdenton Pride of the Lake Band finished second in Class AA at the Broken Arrow Invitational behind a strong Coweta High School from Oklahoma.  Coweta went on to take second overall.  Bentonville High School from Arkansas edged out Coweta for the grand champion spot while Coweta claimed best musical effect and tied Bentonville for visual effect with both schools bringing very different artistic styling. Camdenton finished sixth overall in finals with their best show yet.  The Broken Arrow Invitational always proves to be a well-run competition with some of the best bands from several states.  This year bands came from Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Entering the stadium,  it was fun to be greeted by Broken Arrow band students selling programs and acting like, well, regular high school students.   Knowing these Broken Arrow students as BOA St. Louis champions for the last three years and Grand National champions in 2015 made it exciting to meet them and to imagine what this year’s performance might bring.  Broken Arrow’s exhibition performance brought great surprises and the highest level of music throughout.  It was hard to connect these marching band rock stars from Broken Arrow to the terrific but regular students that greeted spectators just a few hours earlier.  But that is the exciting thing about the performing arts program known as marching band.  Regular students from schools all over the country put on performances that span from sideline to sideline across the surface of a 100-yard football field.  The performances at Broken Arrow gave fans goosebumps and made them gasp, laugh, and rise to their feet with excitement.

The Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis this Friday, October 21st and Saturday, October 22nd will bring all of that excitement and more.  Camdenton will have their final chance of the 2016 marching season to entertain spectators filling seats in The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, MO.  Parents, grandparents, students, staff, and friends who are there supporting other marching bands will be able to enjoy “Carnivale, The Music of Mozart” presented by The Camdenton Pride of the Lake Band.  The Pride of the Lake will leave their last performance of the competition season on the field knowing they achieved great things together.  They didn’t just memorize notes, they felt them.  They knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but it would definitely be worth it.  In advance, this writer names every one of the bands performing this weekend a success as they rise to an artistic and musical level that they were not certain they could achieve at the beginning of the season.  Good luck to Camdenton, and good luck to all 65 bands competing at BOA St. Louis.