As the Minnetonka Marching Band finishes up their best season yet, they celebrate as class AA champions. Under the direction of band instructors Mr. Mortenson and Mr. Rosen, the marching band and color guard have put in countless hours of field time and music rehearsals. Their efforts paid off as the band took first place in three marching competitions, defeated their toughest rival, Winona Cotter, and made a name for themselves in double A. Their dramatic increase in skill over the years sets a precedent for years to follow and the success of the season proves to be a big step forward for the band.

Since its beginning eight years ago, the Minnetonka Marching Band always competed in the single A class due to an insufficient number of members and color guard. This season, the band expanded, in skill and numbers, to the double A class. This development occurred in the middle of this season when the judges decided that they couldn’t let Minnetonka remain a power house in single A and dominate every band in the class. Now, Minnetonka competes against bands from a higher echelon, and still wins.

With practice comes perfection, and that’s exactly how Minnetonka rose to the top of class AA. Beginning in the second week of August, the band started marching at 9 AM and finished at 9 PM everyday from Monday to Saturday until school began. They also attended band camp where they spent just under a week mastering their steps and musical pieces.

In addition to an extensive season and longer practices, the entire mentality of the band changed. Elsie Stickler, a senior alto saxophone player and squad leader, attests that “people are really taking it seriously now,” realizing that they have enough members and experience to pose a serious threat to other schools.

Of the three competitions Minnetonka placed first in, Taylor Dahlberg and Taylor Moore won best Drum Major in two, the band also received best Horn Line in two and best Drum Line in all three. The Drum Line performed particularly well with a pit three times the size of last year. The band even walks out to a drum cadence written by senior John Nelson.

According to Elsie, the members “take pride in how everyone is a key part,” whether a Drum Major, tuba player, flutist, pit member, or color guard. That’s the beauty of marching band, “there’s no B-team… everyone is essential.”