LEXINGTON — Marching bands across the state will be in Lexington this weekend for the 2001 KMEA State Marching Band Championships.

        Out of the 61 bands that have qualified for today's contest, only the top 16 — four from each class — that pass the semifinal round will take the field for the finals at University of Kentucky's Commonwealth Stadium.

        An estimated 35,000 people attended the band competition in 1997, the last time Lexington hosted the Kentucky Music Educators Association-sponsored championships.

        Although the music is festive, band members are under pressure.

        After working for months to perfect their shows, it all comes down to less than 10 minutes on the field and the opinions of six judges.

        A scant fraction of a point — a misstep here, a sour note there — can be the difference between who goes home with top honors and who just goes home.

        But the polished performances the bands deliver today will only look effortless. It takes the hard work and the cooperation of many people to pull off a successful performance.

        And it all begins with band camp.

        “Most people don't realize how hard it is to play and walk at the same time,” said Lafayette High School senior Nathan Barker of Lexington. “It's a lot harder than it looks.”

        A couple of weeks before school starts, band members gather in the early morning to learn the fundamentals.

        The band director and his staff have the daunting task of getting a large group of high school students to march and play music as one.

        But during relentless drilling, uniform fittings and practicing, friendships form and the process of solidifying as a unit begins.

        Kathy Burgess said she had no idea what it took to run a competitive music program before her daughter Lauren, a sophomore, joined Lafayette's band.

        “I've gained a new respect for how hard they work,” she said.

        By the time school starts, incoming freshmen have a ready-made network of friends.

        “I felt way in the game after band camp,” said Lesa Boyd, a freshman flutist at Lafayette. “When you get in uniform, everybody plays a little better and marches a little better.”
       

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