This year Eagle Band had one of their best seasons to date. With a lot of success throughout their season, the band has lots to celebrate. They started out their season with many rehearsals over the summer, multiple of them being 9-9 rehearsals. This meant playing music and marching for 12 hours in one day, talk about dedication.

This year the band’s show was called Paint the Roses. The show was a take on part of Alice in Wonderland with the Queen of Hearts talking during their performance. The mindset of the band was all about having their best performance at each show and “painting the roses,” which meant to have a good run.

Paint the Roses was good enough to get them a State Championship, which was huge for the Eden Prairie band. In addition, the band went to a Super Regional competition in St. Louis where they took a fifth place finish out of 94 bands, the best they have ever done. Senior Abby Jacobson said, “It was fun going to St. Louis and getting fifth and getting to sleep in the Lifetime gym.”

Then they went to an even higher level. The band traveled to Indianapolis for Grand Nationals. This was Eagle Band’s first time ever competing in this competition. 34 bands make semifinals and Eagle Band got 35th by .05. Just shy of making top 34 and the band was heartbroken. Despite this, Senior Brad Reiling said, “The best part of Eagle Band this year was going to Indianapolis for the first time. It was a great experience to see some of the best bands in the country.”

Though they missed making semifinals, the band still has a lot to be proud of. They won state, took a top five finish in their regional competition and made the marching band program into the successful one that it is today, which Reiling said was an awesome way to end his senior year in the band. This year was one of the most successful the band has had and that is something to be excited about. Congratulations on a great season Eagle Band, you make our school proud.