BHSOPE will be competing in the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis against some of the best marching bands in the nation.

“When I first found out we were going to Grand Nats I was really excited because I knew that all the upperclassmen were talking about how amazing Grand Nats was as an experience,” sophomore Caroline Garcia said.

The band is partnering with Music Travel Consultants, a travel company that works with orchestras and bands to coordinate trips.

“From a travel standpoint, you have to think about how many hotel rooms, how many chaperones, how many kids, how many meals, and what do they pay for and what do they not pay for,” head director Kim Shuttlesworth said. “From a planning standpoint, you have to make sure that you pick a good show. That makes all the difference.”

The band has gone to Grand Nats a total of three times. In 2006, 2009, and 2012 when the class of 2016 were freshmen, with the show ‘Stellae Errantes’.

“It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of this production,” freshman Allison Yetter said. “I saw the show that last went to Grand Nats, and it was moving; it brought tears to my eyes.”

As members grow used to working in the program, their goals grow as well. Before the season starts, students plan to become a part of the band’s leadership or play harder music than they had the previous year.

“Next year, I really want to be on a marimba,” freshman Maya Webb said.  “I was on a vibraphone, which has not as hard music, and the percussion director is limiting the amount of players in pit to make it a really strong section, and since marimba is the hardest I want to be on that.”

The band will learn about the theme of their show and get some of their music in the spring.

“We practice longer but the amount of detail that has to get done will be a lot more so we’ll dive in a lot quicker than we’re used to,” Shuttlesworth said.

Even though Grand Nats is a big competition, the band will still go to other competitions, including UIL State Competition.

“I think this season will be different because now we’ll have more of a drive and more of a motivation,” freshman Adam Dinkins said.

Performing in Grand Nats will be different in 2016 than in 2012 because the bands will be much more competitive, and no one will have ever competed in the Lucas Oil Stadium before.

“It’s kind of intimidating that it’s in a new environment; it’s a stadium that none of us have ever played on before,” Webb said.