The festival was Nov. 8 at the Copper Canyon High School in Glendale. High school marching bands from throughout the state qualified for the event by receiving an excellent rating or better in at least one of the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association-approved Band Days.
Safford, Thatcher and Pima high schools all received high ratings, at the Eastern Arizona College Band Day on Nov. 1.
Pima received a superior rating at EAC's band day as well as other caption awards.
At the state festival, Thatcher received an overall superior rating and a caption award of the outstanding visual performance award.
Roger Munoz, Thatcher's band director, said, "We were really excited, pumped up and ready to go." The band featured a Bon Jovi show and blazed three hit songs called "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Livin' on a Prayer." "(The band is an) outstanding, wonderful group of kids to work with," Munoz said. He said the parents and administration offer a great support group for the band.
At the state festival, Safford received an overall superior rating and won the award for outstanding percussion.
Pima received an overall superior rating and was awarded the outstanding music award and the outstanding general effect award.




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1 comment(s)Thomas Zoellner wrote on Dec 1, 2008 1:32 AM: