The audience applauds as the Bowie Outdoor Performing Ensemble finishes 5th place overall at the Bands of America Austin Regional last Saturday, September 29.

Jovi Smith, a clarinet player on the Bowie Marching band and a competitor at the Bands of America Austin regional (BOA), shares the details of what happened at the competition.

“It is a very competitive competition between more than 20 bands. BOA has a prelims performance for each band and this performance decides of whether or not a band can move forward in competition to finals.” Smith said. “There are only 10 bands that can move on.”

Placing at the Bowie America Austin regional competition is impressive because the judges have harshly critiqued all the bands.

“On the field, there are judges that grade individual technique whether it be musical or physical,” Smith said.

Smith is proud of what the Bowie band has overcome this year so far. Placing at the BOA Austin Regional is not an easy thing.

“The meaningfulness of placing at a BOA competition is absolutely overwhelming. The realization that all of the band’s literal blood, sweat, and tears that go into a single performance isn’t for nothing is the greatest reward anyone could ask for.” Smith said.

Smith was full of emotions throughout the competition, winning was a huge accomplishment for the Bowie band especially after the large amount of hard work.

“I cried and laughed probably the hardest I ever have. Honestly, Bowie has come so far, I’m proud of our progress and our school should be too, we work harder than anyone out there,” Smith said.