The Westbrook High School marching band performs “Fearless” at the Sanford High School. Courtesy photo

WESTBROOK— The Westbrook High School Marching Band went big over the weekend, earning its first perfect score from the Maine Band Director Association’s competition on Saturday and taking third place Sunday at the New England Scholastic Band Association’s championship.

“We performed at the Maine state finals on Saturday at the new Sanford High School. We received a gold medal, so that really means that we achieved the highest score you can achieve,”  band Director Kyle Smith said Monday.

“What made this season really special for us is that in the end, we received a perfect score, which means every judge gave us a five in every category which we had not experienced before, so the kids are really pumped about that.”

At the weekend competitions in Sanford and in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the band presented their show, “Fearless,” which looked at historical figures such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and others who stood up for what they believed in.

“We tried to use historical characters to portray what it means to be fearless,” Smith said.

The show was dedicated to the first responders who died on 9/11.

“We dedicated the show to the New York Fire Department and NYPD victims who were racing to the top of the tower as it collapsed. In the end we had our final set using the Iwo Jima pose and a huge flag that included a big gold star in the middle to honor gold star families in America who lost family in the military.

“We tied in all of those to teach what it means to be fearless,” Smith said.

The Westbrook High School Marching Band took home the gold at the Maine Band Director Association’s competition in Sanford. Courtesy photo

The band practices their “Fearless” show over the summer in the high school parking lot, and their practice paid off. Chance Viles/American Journal