BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Editor's note: This story is part of 9NEWS' "Hearts of Champions" series, where we're highlighting marching bands across the state. Watch our full stories on Fridays at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on Saturday mornings all through the month of September. Share your photos and memories with us using #Bandon9.
The Legacy High School marching band is using a little inspiration this year in band camp after they lost in a close competition.
“Fossil Ridge…they’re like our biggest competitors,” said senior Drum Major Raemi Morin. “It’s either we’re first and they’re second or they’re first and we’re second.”
“The competition that beat us in state, they just outworked us a little bit,” added senior Luke Chindlund. “So that’s definitely been a motivator this season.”
The marching band has been using that motivation during band camp. These camps are held in the heat of the summer starting the first weeks of August.
They last usually for two weeks and for about 10 hours a day.
Band members do calisthenics, run and get in shape so they can learn to perform a 6 1/2-minute show, a show they’ll perform while marching, running, playing their instruments and tossing flags.
After camps, it rehearses before, during and after school to perfect the show that most see during halftime of football games.
In high school, the weekend competitions begin in September, where marching bands compete against each other, culminating into the state championships in November.
“The kids are incredible. They come together and work hard,” said Director of Bands Clay Stansberry. “A lot of time nowadays, you don’t see kids working this hard…they don’t want to. ... But they love this and love what they do with the music and the marching. They love putting it all together.”
The Legacy High School marching band has won 10 state 5A titles, losing to Fossil Ridge High School by 0.3 of a point in last year’s competition.
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