Troy High School Marching Band earns top score in state finals

Troy High School Marching Band earned the highest possible rating at the state finals Sunday evening, held at Alexander Stadium in Piqua.

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Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) gave the marching band a “Superior” rating after their performance, “Clue,” based on the board game and film.

“I am just so happy for these kids, because they have worked so hard to get to this point,” Troy High School Director of Bands Molly Venneman said. “These kids start working in the summer, including a week of 12-15 hour days at band camp, to put together the show everyone gets to see.”

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Troy High School Marching Band is one of only four bands to qualify for the OMEA state competition every year since its inception in 1980. The band has also earned a “Superior” rating in state competitions every year since 2000, a spokesperson stated in a press release.

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The 102 trojans qualified for the state finals after earning a “Superior” rating at the Troy Marching Band Invitational, their first competition of the year.

“It’s not easy to get a 1 (Superior) rating in the first competition of the year, because a lot of the time, you are just coming out of summer and still putting a lot of things in place. But these kids worked hard in the summer to make sure they were ready when the season started,” Venneman said.

Venneman thanks staff, parents, families, and volunteers for aiding their students’ successes.