Once every year, bands from the entire AASD school district gather in the high school auditorium to perform various works. This annual event is called the Band Bash. It provides a chance for school district teams to come together, not for a rivalry, but for a united musical.

The junior high band team, headed by Kent Martin, consists of roughly 85  members ranging from percussion to wind instruments. The Bash usually occurs in the third marking period of the school year.  This year the Bash occurred on Thursday, March 20.

In the events leading up to the Bash, players have been heavily preparing. Practice began somewhere in mid to late January.

“We have been preparing for a couple of weeks and acting out various songs to see what we like and play better,” Charles Smith said, a cymbal/chime player in the band.

Anticipation also built within the group. Ranging from excited to understandably nervous.

“I’m a bit scared because I have stage fright, but I am still excited for the show,” Smith said.

On March 20, hundreds of viewers gathered in the auditorium to witness the Band Bash. The bands played songs like “Acceptance” by So Contagious and various selections from the Rolling Stones.

The Band Bash was attended by band teams in other schools as well.

“It was a majestic experience,” Nathan Shoeman said, a percussion player in the band and in the Bash.

The band team felt they did a fantastic job along with the others, seeing the thunderous applause at the end of the event. All that is left to do is to await the Band Bash of 2015.