Lake Havasu High School To Compete At State For First Time

By Becky Maxedon

The Lake Havasu High School Marching Band of Knights performed at the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association State semi-finals at Gilbert High School Nov. 4.

The band competed against other bands in its division for the opportunity to qualify for the championships. Only the top eight bands in each of four divisions go on to the finals. And the LHHS band qualified to move on to the State Championships for the first time in the school’s history.

“We are so proud to announce the band’s qualification,” Knights bands director Kimberly Schreiber said.

The championship competition will take place at Glendale Community College Nov. 18.

“We are so proud of the band and their hard work this season. Our group really came together as a unified team and worked hard together to create an amazing show,” Schreiber said.

LHHS Fall Sports Football Cheerleading Band 2023

The LHHS Band of Knights performs at the final football game of the 2023 season. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

The band will perform its award-winning 2023 field show for the last time this year, titled “Eye of the Hurricane.” The performance features the music of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” and ACDC’s “Thunderstruck.”

“We have been very successful this year, taking first or second place at every invitational we have gone to this season, and we have received multiple caption awards for the highest scores in each category pertaining to the show – Music Performance, Visual Performance, General Effect, Percussion and especially Color Guard, which has received an award at most competitions we have gone to.

“We have performed at Verrado, Peoria, Millennium, NAU Band Day, along with upholding our duties to our community (performing in the parades) and school varsity football games,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber said the band has had a busy fall since band camp in July.

photo courtesy Band of Knights

“They have come such a long way, especially with how many new kids we have in the band this year. We are so proud of their accomplishments and their successes this year.”

The band will next perform in the Veterans Day Parade on McCulloch Boulevard Nov 11. Then to ABODA State Championships Nov. 18.

All band classes will perform in the LHHS Winter Band Concert Dec. 12, at 6 p.m., at the LHHS Performing Arts Center.

The performance will include the concert band, percussion ensemble, jazz band, Color Guard, and the marching band.

“We just would like to thank all the people who support our program – we could not be more grateful, and we wouldn’t be successful without our supporters,” Schreiber said.

She expressed appreciation to the band staff, chaperones, volunteers and Band Boosters, and the LHUSD administration. She gave a special thanks to Katie Robertson, a LHHS Counselor, for her theatrical skills and reading the poem that was written for the show, and special thanks to Sam Brindis, the audio visual teacher at LHHS, for the use of the recording studio and all his help with sound effects and recordings.

The band is always seeking support through donations and tax credits.

Contact Kimberly Schreiber for more information at kschreiber@lhusd.org or the high school number is 928-854-5001.