The Fountain Hills High School band started off the month of April with a trip to Hollywood, Calif. The band performed in the Hollywood Heritage Festival but also got the chance to soak in the sights that the City of Angels has to offer.

“It is a fun trip,” senior drum major Sam Aker said. “We compete but we also have some days were we spend some time around LA seeing the sights and going to theme parks because the Heritage Festival does their award ceremony in theme parks.”

The band arrived a day early in LA on Wednesday, April 4, and got the chance to spend some time in the city and at Universal Theme Park before competition began on Friday.

The FHHS symphonic band performed two pieces of music; “Mount Everest,” by Rossano Galante, and “March Grandioso,” by Roland F. Seitz. The band had been working on the two pieces since the beginning of January and got the chance to receive direct feedback on their performance at the competition.

“Part of the festivals is performing your pieces for three judges,” Aker said, “Afterwards, one of the judges comes up on stage and helps you with your music and hopefully gives you some ideas on how to make it better.”

FHHS’s symphonic band did not end up winning first place but the jazz band and drum line did receive the top accolades.

“It was a really cool opportunity to go and represent our school,” drumline section leader Alex James said.

A majority of the band agreed their favorite part of the trip was going to the theme parks, Six Flags in particular, but they also enjoyed the chance to spend time with each other.

“The best part about the trip is you’re around the band for like five whole days,” Aker said. “You get to know different people in the band, people you don’t normally hang out with as much and so that is nice.”

Even with all the fun that goes on during this trip, the band members remembered they were representing their school and were sure to be on their best behavior, something that did not go unnoticed by hotel staff or chaperones.

“It was a great trip,” FHHS music teacher Lynn Truby said. “We got compliments everywhere we went for their behavior, which is honestly one of the reason we keep doing the trip. The students treated everyone with respect. Even the bus drivers complimented them.”

Truby likes to think of this end-of-the-year trip as a way to thank the students for their dedication throughout the year to the band program.

“Friday and Saturday are working days because that’s when competition and the award ceremony is happening,” Truby said. “On Thursday, that’s when we let them go to a park as a thank you for the time they put in all year. We pull a lot of extra rehearsal times to get ready and the amount of out-of-school time the kids put in is ridiculous.”

The FHHS band is holding their Spring concert tomorrow, May 3, at 7 p.m.