Windsor was chosen to represent Colorado by Gov. Bill Ritter. The band raised the money for the trip by selling T-shirts and collecting donations.
The 76 students and their chaperones had undergone several days of mishaps after arriving in the Washington, D.C. area on Saturday. The truck carrying their instruments and uniforms broke down in Missouri on Friday before and didn't arrive in Washington until Sunday afternoon.
While waiting for the truck to arrive, the students toured museums and memorials along the National Mall. When they tried to leave, their charter bus got stuck in traffic for several hours, thanks to a concert at the Lincoln Memorial and groups of protesters. The students didn't get to bed until midnight Sunday and then had to get up at 4 a.m.
"We're having a great time," said Wendy Jones, a senior and the captain of the band's flag corps. "The best part of the trip has been just being with my girls."
The students were invited to participate in the nation's 56th inaugural festivities not only because they are accomplished performers but also because they survived adversity and went on to thrive, Ritter said.
After a powerful tornado ripped through Windsor on May 22, 2008, band members helped clean up debris from parks and neighborhoods. They moved ahead with plans to attend band camp at the University of Wyoming two-and-a-half weeks later, even though some of their own homes had been damaged or destroyed.
In October, the band won the state band championship for its division.
"You're a great example of resiliency," the governor said.
Tuesday's performance was the last of the season for most band members and the very last for graduating seniors, assistant band director Melissa Claeys said.
"It's so surreal," she said. "I feel like I've been floating around in the Twilight Zone for the last six weeks."/>
