Banding together: Lodi High delivers at NorCal competition
Music could be heard throughout the Lincoln Village neighborhood at 8 a.m. in the morning as winter guard and color guard groups as well as several dozen drum majors from 73 schools came from multiple counties to compete in the Northern California Band Association Championships (NCBA) held at Lincoln High School in Stockton, on Saturday, April 7.
The awards ceremony started at 9:45 p.m. with Lodi High School’s winter percussion ensemble taking second place in its division, passing 12 other schools and just 1.4 points away from first place. Lodi High percussion had a successful year taking first and second place in its other three competitions as did several of the drum majors (a brand new program at the school) placing second, third and fifth place at two other competitions and with the return of the winter guard, after a three-year absence, placing fifth and second at several of their competitions as well.
Hundreds of hours are committed by the students from nightly practices to all day Saturday band camp practices to compete with other high schools. Competition days typically start at the crack of dawn with awards presented between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., and also include coming back to the school to begin unloading the band trailer of equipment, props and percussion instruments often ending the day at midnight. Passion for music and artistic expression is what keeps the students committed and dedicated to the art.
The Lodi High music program, which includes percussion ensemble, marching band, concert, orchestra and jazz band led by band director, Glen Guevara, continues to grow and step up their game year by year.
Please visit the website to view more about the Lodi High music programs and accomplishments at