Lake Orion Band Marches to State Championship in Detroit

Playing in the rain, sleet and snow is nothing new for the 138 members of the Marching Band, who spend upwards of 18 hours a week rehearsing during marching band season.

Now, they are seeing their hard work and sacrifice pay off as they prepare to head to Ford Field Saturday for their tenth straight appearance at the Michigan Competing Bands Association Championship.

"I guarantee these kids work as hard or harder than anyone else at the school," marching band director Michael Steele said. "We stay late three nights a week, and we're here pretty much every Saturday."

The band, which finished fifth at the state championship last year, is one of 12 bands competing in Flight I this year; a total of 48 bands in four flights of 12 bands each will be competing.

"There are some very good bands," Steele said. "There are five very, very good bands, and we are one of them. We’re going to perform our show to the best of our abilities, and seven judges are going to judge our fate."

Steele said they have had some minor setbacks this year – mostly weather-related – though his students have made up for that by working exceptionally hard in recent weeks.

"What’s always made me the most proud is that these kids have really, genuinely try to get better, and they’ve rehearsed well," he said. "They’ve definitely rehearsed better than any group I've taught here."

Steele said that even though he is the teacher, he often finds himself learning a thing or two from his students throughout the year.

"The easiest thing you learn from kids is patience," he said. "You have to be patient or else it grinds to a halt."

The band, which earned a spot in the state championship contest by placing well in several smaller competitions this fall, will also be competing against 90 other bands in the 2011 Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis on Nov. 10.

But for now, Steele the band is just concentrating on the upcoming state championship, which he believes they have a good chance of winning.

"We’d love to win it," he said, "but I’ll be proud of these kids no matter what we finish."

Are you going to the Michigan Competing Bands Association Championship on Saturday? Send us your pictures! Email jen.anesi@patch.com.