The Mountain Home High School Band earned straight superior first-division ratings from all three judges during this year’s Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association (ASBOA) Region VI Marching Assessment. The event took place Tuesday in Rogers, where bands from across the region competed.
Region VI spans an area from Mountain Home to the Bentonville-Rogers region. The contest is a ratings-based competition, with first-division scores being the highest attainable, while a fifth-division score is the lowest. Scores are determined using a detailed rubric evaluating music performance, marching precision, and overall effect.
The first-division ratings achieved by the Mountain Home Band represent an essential step toward the coveted ASBOA Sweepstakes Award. That distinction recognizes bands demonstrating excellence across three disciplines: marching, concert band, and sight-reading. Mountain Home will seek to complete the award when they travel to Harrison for the concert and sight-reading portions of the program in March.
In addition to Tuesday’s success, the Mountain Home Band recently placed fourth at the Ozark Marching Invitational and ranked 10th out of 24 bands at the Branson Marching Invitational. The band’s next competition is scheduled for November 4, when they will perform at the 6A State Marching Contest at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Local fans will have opportunities to see the band perform closer to home later this month. On Thursday, October 22, at 8 p.m., the band will present its annual “lights out” performance at Bomber Stadium. During this unique showcase, the stadium’s lights are turned off while students and their instruments are illuminated as they perform. Admission to the event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.
Additionally, the Annual Band Marching Exhibition will take place Friday, October 30, at 6:30 p.m., also at Bomber Stadium. The band will present their 2026 production, "Cosmic Frontier," followed by another rendition of their “lights out” performance. Both events are free and open to the public.