This is the first State Superior awarded in the history of the Bulldog marching band. “We were a family at that point; we weren’t just a group of kids anymore,” drum major, senior Taylor Blagdon said after North Platte High School’s marching band received a Superior at their state competition. The event, held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Nov. 22, featured 24 different bands from across the state.

The band consists of 96 students who have been practicing their music since last spring, and are expected to practice all summer. At band camp, the musicians practice three hours per day for two weeks. The band has sectional practices every morning. These are when the musicians of a specific instrument practice their music together. “I think the kids get tired of each other, especially tired of me,” said band instructor Brett Bradley. However, he said the long hours together paid off.

The week before, the band also competed in the Lincoln Public Schools Marching Invitational. At the competition, they received an Excellent rating, which is one step below a Superior. Some of the musicians were crying on the way home from Lincoln due to disappointment of not improving from Harvest of Harmony. This was the worst score they had gotten this year. “It really hurts to see people in the band reduced to tears,” said Blagdon.

Bradley has been North Platte’s band director for 21 years. “He has really shaped us. He deserves this award; we did it for him,” said Blagdon. The students ended their season chanting for Bradley in the parking lot. Now, the expectation is higher for the upcoming years.