2016 Bands of America Grand National Championships, presented by Yamaha

2016 BOA Grand National Finalist Feature: Homestead H.S.

We look back at the range of emotions and all the seasons that BOA Grand National finalist Homestead High School experienced in Indianapolis.

Dec 9, 2016 by Michael Gilley

2016 BOA Grand National Finalist Feature: Homestead H.S.

Now that the DCI season has ended, we turn our focus to the upcoming Bands of America season. To better understand what might transpire in 2017, we take a look back at 2016 with the bands who made it to finals at Grand Nationals.

Over the course of a fall marching band season, a winter of indoor guard, or a summer of drum corps, there is a sweeping range of emotions that performers experience. For 2016 Bands of America Grand National finalist Homestead High School, its show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis last month was encapsulated by a sense of closure and healing.

Nancy Barber, the wife of Homestead head director Steve Barber, passed away over the summer from a condition known as amyloidosis.

"We are a family," Steve said. "I think all bands are families, and we have some holes but things are healing."

While the healing process will continue for the Homestead family, it was able to close this fall season with emotions of euphoria, remembrance, and excitement in its performance.

The band's show was visually based around the colors of the seasons and used beautifully constructed trees that were interlaced with LED lights. The lights flashed different colors that coincided with each season being expressed at that point of the show. There was also a stunning moment at the end of the performance when the color guard used doubled-sided flags and smart flag work to do a sudden color change on the field.

One of Homestead's members described how the band felt to see its emotional season culminate at the Grand National Finals, saying "it's definitely more that just a band competition. It's one of the greatest fine arts (events) you could ever go to. And it's different from anything else in the world."

UPCOMING 2017 BOA EVENTS:

BOA Northwest Ohio Regional
BOA Indianapolis Super Regional
BOA Grand Nationals

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