American Fork H.S. Bands
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Stand Ready Poem by Laura Barney

Stand Ready  by Laura Barney
Summer brings sunlit days
Early mornings
And late nights
Rest is not an option
Work is our Choice

We watch the Dawn
We Welcome the Dusk

Late Summer Comes,
Harder work begins
For a week we say goodbye to our family,
Normal life,
And Rest.
Minute upon Minute
Hour upon Hour
The unforgiving sun
Beats down on our backs
But we are happy
Deep inside
Working, working, working.

Early Fall begins, our work pays off
Late bus rides to far and near places
The Field is our battleground. 
We stand and focus, 
Move and play
Wave our Flags and wield our weapons
Our Instruments singing to the stadium lights
And the Judges, seated high. 
After Our performance, we stand at attention
Red, Black, and White soldiers
A silent army.
The Announcer speaks, the tension grows.
Silence overcomes the field
Except for our beating hearts we make no move
Even our breath has stopped. 
The winner announced but still we stay frozen, our breath restarted
We watch and wait for our leaders
Adrenaline back, racing and pounding through our head
Mind
And Soul.
Our Leaders return, holding their heads high
Arm and Arm, Trophies in hand, and still we say nothing.
At Ease! The call breaks out
The spell of our silence is broken. 
Yells and whoops and screams of triumph
We clasp the hands and hug the other bands
Congratulating and complementing their hard work. 
On the late bus ride home, who could be sleeping?
Again and Again we ride those buses
Again and Again the strained then powered silence.
Until the season is over, our hard work done,
We now wait with our memories
For the Marching Band Season to start again.

Daily Herald Articles by Gina Jackson


Judge Comments 2015


 
 Weber Review 2015
Music GE - Philip Haines
Music Ensemble- Mark Lighthiser
Visual GE - Carl Nelson
Visual Ensemble - N/A
Percussion - Nick Waters
Color Guard - Lorraine Kohagen

Nebo 2015     90.91
Music Effect - Eric Hammer
Music Ensemble - Gary Gilroy
Visual Effect - N/A
Visual Ensemble - Mike Schofield
Percussion - Sean McNeal
​Color Guard - N/A
Recap

Wasatch Front  2015     84.96
Music Effect - Steve Abrahms (No Comments)
Music Ensemble - Teddy Mascari 
​Visual Effect - Richard Kramer
Visual Ensemble - James Boyer
Percussion - Brandon Maxwell
​Color Guard - Tony Melancon
Recap

Pocatello  2015      63.45
Music Effect - Robert Hunter 
Music Ensemble -Chad Simons
​Visual Effect -Emmett O'Leary
Visual Ensemble - Joe Tornello
Percussion - Scott Farfas
​Color Guard - Justin Anderson

Bridgerland 2015     90.08
Music Effect - Meryl Wamhoff
Music Ensemble - Steve Accatino
​Visual Effect - Ron Ryles
Visual Ensemble - Nick Peterson
Percussion - Evan Hinds
​Color Guard - Ron Maier
Recap

BYU 2015     97.25
Music Effect - William Silvester
Music Ensemble - James Hannah
​Visual Effect - John Donner
Visual Ensemble - Richard Suk
Percussion - Julia Davila
​Color Guard - Kevin Morris
Recap

Davis Cup 2015  92.71
Video
Music Effect - Dan Smith
Music Ensemble - Dan Bryan
​Visual Effect - Kevin Bell
Visual Ensemble - Jackie Gilley
Percussion - J.W. Koester
​Color Guard - Lorraine Kohagen
Recap

Mt Timpanogos 2015
Video
Music Effect - Richard McEnaney
Music Ensemble - Steven Schifferdecker
​Visual Effect - Brian Soules
Visual Ensemble - Frank Dorritie
Percussion - Joe Fant
​Color Guard - Joshua Benningfield
Recap

Red Rocks 2015
Music Effect - Dan Smith
Music Ensemble - Mark Lighthiser
​Visual Effect  - Richard Kramer
Visual Ensemble - Brian Soules
Percussion - Evan Hinds
​Color Guard - Jonette Dangerfield
Recap

Band of America  2015  Prelims
Music General Effect 1
Music General Effect 2
Music Performance Individual
Music Performance Execution
​Visual General Effect
Visual Performance Ensemble
Visual Performance Individual
Prelim Recap

Band of America  2015  Finals
Music General Effect 1
Music General Effect 2
Music Performance Individual
Music Performance Execution
​Visual General Effect
Visual Performance Ensemble
Visual Performance Individual
Finals Recap

ISU Minidome 10.11.15


AF Marching Band @ Summer Concert


AF Jazz Band I and II receive Excellent and Superior Ratings at the UMEA State Jazz Festival

Jazz Band I received all superior ratings and Jazz Band II received  I-. II+ and II-. It was a great day for Jazz at AFHS! Alie Carter, Alyssa Ash,Jacob Baldwin and Josh Zabriskie were named as Outstanding Soloists at the festival.
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ASD Honor Band



2015 Allstate Band and Orchestra

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Jacob Baldwin – Alto Sax
Brayden Bezzant – Tenor Sax
Jason Cannon – Clarinet
Kyle Cannon – Horn
Christian Davidson – Horn
Wyatt Gilles - Trombone
Davis Johnson – Euphonium
Rebecca Lambert Clarinet / Orchestra
Jake Miller – Percussion / Orchestra
Melanie Rugg  Flute
BreAnne Osborn – Oboe
Natasha Ramirez – Clarinet
Joel Rodeback – Horn
Sam Schiess – Tuba / Orchestra
Scott Smith – Clarinet
Treven Thomas - Horn

AF Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony receive Superior Ratings at 2015 UMEA State Band Festival!
Order a CD of the State Festival Performance  $12.00

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Flag Day Performance 2015


​2015 AF Marching Band Delta Camp


Jacob Baldwin Selected for 2015 Army All-American Marching Band

Jacob was  selected as a member of the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band!  He will represent the best of high school marching musicians and will set an example of excellence to his peers. Jacob was selected from hundreds of qualified applicants for his outstanding musicianship, marching skill, attention to detail, ability to follow directions, and maturity. He will receive an all-expenses paid trip from December 30th through January 5th 2015, to San Antonio, Texas where he and his fellow All-Americans will create and perform the half-time program for the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. 
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Mountain Point Hospital Jazz Band Performance


AFMB Rehearsals and Wasatch Front

Click here for all band Pics and Video

Click for more photos

Fly Me To The Moon Jazz Dinner Dance

The AFHS Jazz Bands present an evening of great food and jazz music. Dinners are at 6 and 6:30 by ticketed reservation only. Choose either prime rib or chicken cordon bleu. In conjunction with Dinner and Dancing, there will also be a silent auction of many incredible products. All proceeds benefit the Band programs at American Fork High School.
Tickets may be purchased until May 11th at Fresh Market or at this link.
Click to order tickets
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Wind Symphony Region 2015

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​​AMERICAN FORK HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND RETURNS TO POCATELLO, WITH THANKS

American Fork, Utah – 7 October 2015 – For the American Fork High School Marching Band community, this Saturday is the sixth anniversary of a tragedy. On October 10, 2009, one of the band’s four buses left the freeway south of Pocatello and rolled onto its side, killing 33-year-old woodwind instructor Heather Christensen and injuring 42 of the 55 students aboard.

The band was returning from a competition at Holt Arena at Idaho State University, when the bus driver blacked out due to a medical condition. Christensen left her seat and attempted to regain control of the bus. She was killed when the bus rolled onto its side, after missing a culvert and some rock formations which could have made the accident more severe. 

“Heather saved a lot of lives that night,” said Tim Osborn, a band parent who was then serving on the Alpine School Board. He had attended the competition and arrived on the scene shortly after the accident. 

On Saturday, for the first time since the accident, the AFHS Marching Band will perform in Pocatello at the annual Mountain West Marching Invitational. AFHS Director of Bands John Miller said, “We thought it was time to return to Pocatello, as much to show our appreciation to the community as to perform.”

Remembering that tragic weekend, Miller singles out for praise “the good Samaritans who stopped to help; the Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sheriff’s Department, fire fighters, ambulance personnel, and other first responders; the hospital staff in Pocatello; the administration and band teachers at ISU who met us at the hospital and offered food, lodging, and anything else we needed; 
and many others who helped us in a difficult time.”

Osborn said, “The kindness and professionalism of everyone involved was just incredible. It shows you the kind of community that Pocatello is. The memories will live with us forever.”

The outpouring of public support and sympathy continued after the band returned home. Miller recalled, “In the days and weeks after the accident, our band room and our hearts were filled with letters, cards, flowers, and other expressions of love and support from around the world.”

Of the students involved in the accident, only one remained hospitalized the following day. Three nights after the accident, every member of the band was on the field at Brigham Young University’s Lavell Edwards Stadium for the band’s next scheduled competition. A few students with serious injuries played from seats at the edge of the field, instead of marching.
That night, the west stands of the stadium were filled with band members and supporters from many schools and cities, as the American Fork band performed last in the competition. That year’s field show honored military veterans, but, beginning that night, it honored Christensen as well, with a large banner and a few words of narrative.

None of the current band members was in the band in 2009, but some were in the stands that night with their families. Miller reflected, “I never saw a show where, when the music stops, there’s no applause for a while. That night, you could hear people weeping. And there were little kids in the stands who felt the power and emotion of that moment, and decided right then that they had to be in the band.”

At the end of the season, in early November, the band received a last-minute invitation to Grand Nationals in Indianapolis. To accept the invitation, they had to raise about $250,000 in two days. Donations poured in from near and far, and the following weekend the band reached the national semifinals and won the Esprit de Corps Award.

Band mom Sarah Beeson said, “I just recall how the kids pulled together for the rest of the season, after the accident. No one was alone. The parents just stood back and watched them take care of each other. And if we asked the kids how they could keep going, they said, ‘We’re doing this for Heather.’”

Richard Flores was Christensen’s student for five years. Then a drum major, he was on one of the other buses when the accident occurred. Remembering Christensen he said, “She was a very thoughtful person, focused on helping others get better. She was incredible.”

Miller said, “Heather was a dear friend, and so much of the good she did is still with us.”

Ordinarily, the largest bands perform in the evening at competitions, but American Fork will perform Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Holt Arena, then leave for Logan, Utah, for another competition that evening.
​
  • Home
  • Performance Groups
    • Marching Band
    • Concert Bands Main Page >
      • Concert Band (B1)
      • Symphonic Band (A1)
      • Wind Symphony (B2)
    • Jazz Bands
    • Percussion
  • Student Resources
    • Student Resources
    • Band Council
  • Calendar
  • Fundraising & Sponsors
    • Sponsors
    • Fundraising
  • Staff
    • ​Orien Landis
    • Dana Slabaugh
    • Lance Major
    • Jessica Slabaugh
    • Bix Hollenbach
    • Michele Alger
    • Jaycee Wilson
  • Volunteers
    • Background Check Info
    • Band Moms
    • Band Dads
    • Booster Board
    • By-Laws
    • Board Meeting Minutes
  • Charms
  • History
    • The Early Years (1923-1937)
    • Heather Christensen
    • Alumni
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021 >
      • Marching Band - Starry, Starry Night
    • 2019-2020 >
      • Marching Band - The White Queen
    • 2018 - 2019 >
      • Marching Band - Another Viewpoint
      • Grand Nationals 2018
      • Concert Band
      • Jazz Band
    • 2017 - 2018 >
      • Marching Band - Dimensionality
    • 2016 Beyond Limits
    • 2015 Red Sky
    • 2014 Bad Hair Day >
      • Macy's Parade 2014
    • 2013 Fury >
      • 2012-13
      • Band Camp Pics 2013
    • AFHS Band 2012 >
      • Rose Parade 2012
      • 2011-12
    • AFHS Band 2011
    • 2010-11
    • Links
  • AF Bands Store
  • Photos
  • Color Guard
    • Cadet Guard
    • Junior Guard
    • Summer Guard
  • Donate