Saturday Jan.30 marked the beginning of AL's chaotic Jazz Band season, but besides noting the start of a new Jazz Band season it meant something much bigger. Something monumental.

"[This competition] was our State Jazz and show choir competition for classes 2A and 4A for Southwest Iowa," said Terry Hanzlik, band instructor. "It went pretty good. We got a one, our eleventh consecutive Division I."

Not to be duly noted, this competition earned AL's Jazz Band their eleventh consecutive Division I (the highest rating possible), a huge feat in the interscholastic music world and something to be quite excited about.

"Our first song was called 'Big Dipper' which is a blues sort of song. Then our second song, which was our ballad is called "Summer Never Ends" and the last one was "Category 4", our Cuban fast one," said Shannon Holmes '12, tenor saxophone player. "We actually got the highest ranking of the entire day, being the Superior Ranking, a Division I."

The Jazz Band may have received a Division I overall, but that's not the only Division I ranking they received.

"We also a received a one in sight reading too," said Hanzlik. " This is the only contest that requires students to sight read in front of a judge. They have five minutes to look at a new song and then play. A lot of schools don't come because of the sight reading."

The AL Jazz Band started their season off on a high note, but with much more to come we'll have to wait and see if they'll end on the same high note or an maybe on a note an octave up. So congratulations to the AL Jazz Band for an outstanding performance and accomplishment to jump start their season ahead.

-by Emma Murray