Mason County Royals Marching Band is practicing hard for the upcoming state finals.
The Mason County Royals Marching Band is headed back to the Kentucky Music Educators Association State Finals.
According to Band Director Kendrick Applegate, this is the 10th time in the school’s history the band has earned this achievement.
“This is actually a back-to-back appearance, we made it last year too. We will be traveling on Friday, Oct. 27 to Bowling Green, the competition is Saturday and then we will be coming back on Sunday,” Applegate said.
Last year the band placed number eight which is the highest they have achieved in band history; overall 110 schools across Kentucky compete although not all in the same class.
The band members practice three days a week for almost three hours each day according to Applegate. Many of the band members practice in their off time as well.
“If you ever drive down Second Street I am always outside with a flag,” Patience Howell, a third-year band member said.
Ava Wamsley, drum major and student leader, is a senior and is finishing her sixth year with the band (students can start in seventh grade and stay in the band until completion of high school).
Wamsley said she is excited to head back to the finals and shared what the experience was like last year.
“It was an experience we have never had before. It was really, really weird, especially the drive home,” Wamsley said.
Wamsley and Powell explained semi-finals and state finals happen in the same day, the band was up early in the morning competing and when they made it to finals they also competed that night and were not finished until after midnight.
“On that drive the whole road was stopped, completely dead still for four hours and we didn’t start moving until 3 a.m.,” Wamsley said.
Applegate said the band members are working hard on their routine and theme this year, the theme chosen this year is ‘Revolt’, and last year was ‘Out of Darkness’.
Assistant Band Director Cat Graves described the six-and-a-half-minute performance the band will be putting on this Saturday.
“So essentially we are starting as on the fence about whether or not we really want to start this revolt or riot and then gradually throughout the show the band is on board and by the end we are ready to rock and roll, let’s get this revolt started,” Graves said.
Wamsley said she used to get nervous about performing in front of big audiences but over the years the nerves have disappeared.
“That’s what we are here to do, we do this day in and day out and it is who we are, we are performers,” Wamsley said.
Third-year band member Alex Holt said he is hopeful of the band’s chances of winning this year.
“If we don’t this year, I believe in the next couple of years we’ll be coming through,” Holt said.
