School Band Sweeps Regional Contest

Wowing judges with fancy footwork and musical acumen, the Thousand Oaks High School band took top honors in the premiere Southern California band contest.

Matching their skills against more than 40 other high school bands, the Marching Lancers took the sweepstakes awards for marching and playing in both the field and street portions of the competition in an unprecedented sweep of the Arcadia Band Review and Field Tournament. After winning in both the band review and field categories, the 178-student group was named the best overall band as well.

Because the event is an invitational, every band competing is top-notch, said band director Bill Hoehne. “To be considered the best is really a feather in our hat.”

The Thousand Oaks band had its winningest season to date thanks to a dramatic field routine based on the British musical “Chess”--and a concerted effort to practice more.

The routine, in which color guard members fly a 15-foot-long flag, brandish sabers and spin rifles, is a big crowd-pleaser, Hoehne said.

Oboe and alto saxophone player Jennifer Dean, 15, agreed. “We have lots of neat visuals this year that we didn’t have in the past.”

Unity is a big part of the band, Hoehne said. While some other schools only allow their best musicians to perform in competitions, every Thousand Oaks band member marches, “from the most experienced senior to the newest, greenest kid.”