The Galesburg High School Marching Band season has ended but it wasn’t without plenty of accolades.
GHS Band Director Andy Empey tells WGIL the band season typically starts at the end of July.
There is a week-long pre-band camp for four hours a day, followed by band camp week from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm in the summer.
This year, the band participated in five competitions: the Washington Field Competition, the Geneseo Maple Leaf Marching Classic, the Normal Marching Invitational, the State of Illinois Marching Championships at ISU, and the University of Illinois competition.
The Marching Streaks took home first place and a Grand Champion at Geneseo; first place at Normal, and first place at the University of Illinois.
“They were very, very excited and proud of their accomplishment there that night but I think that U of I has always been one of those big competitions that the program has really looked forward to. So, they didn’t let up that next week they just kept pushing.”
The Streaks won 2nd place at Illinois State and qualified for finals for the first time since 1993.
Empey says he credits the help from parents, the music boosters, and the district for supporting the band throughout each season.
This year’s Marching Streaks had 152 members.
