It’s been a big year for the Fountain Hills High School marching band, going on to earn a number of awards throughout the fall semester, including numerous caption awards and a first place finish at the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.

Along with taking part in various community events, the Falcons spent the past several months fine-tuning their marching performance for the year, a series of songs mixing pop songs with classical music into a single “Apopalypse.”

The show earned the local band a number of honors at events like NAU Band Day and the state competition, where the squad earned four out of five caption awards for auxiliary, general effect, percussion and visual.

According to instructor Lynn Truby, all of that recognition earned through hard work and dedication.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said.

“At the end of the season, I enjoy hearing the students still enjoy the music they’re playing. I like hearing that they are just so into what they are doing.”

As for this year’s show, Truby said it had a nice mix that offered a little something for everyone.

“A lot of the times, the judges want to hear more traditional music, or just music that isn’t pop or rock,” she said.

“Our show gave the judges enough of what they wanted, but then the kids were excited too because it included songs that they were familiar with.

“I thought the whole theme came off really well.”

Seniors Connor Cain, Maia Gutierrez and Clayton Chapman, along with sophomore Carla Naranjo, helped lead the marching squad through another successful year, gathering to discuss their many accomplishments in 2014.

“I’d say the UofA performance felt the best,” Cain said, referencing another competition where the Falcons were awarded a rating of “Excellent.”

“After we walked off the field and we all knew that was it, the final and best show, it was a moment to be proud of.”

Gutierrez said that she was especially proud of the amount of growth she saw in her fellow bandmates throughout the season.

“We had a lot of freshmen this year and seeing them progress was really cool,” she added.

“They got so much better and really helped the band’s performance.”

As for Naranjo, the highlight for the season was the big show at state.

“Seeing all the improvement at state, compared to band camp, was really amazing to see,” she said.

“Seeing the emotion coming from the students in the band, after those competitions, was the most rewarding thing,” Chapman added.

“Seeing how much work we put into it and how much we got out of it, that was phenomenal.”

As for this year’s show, Cain said he was surprised to discover how much he enjoyed the final product.

“I don’t usually like pop music, but I enjoy it when it’s converted into marching music,” he said.

“Obviously, I’m a sucker for classical music, so mashing the two together was a really cool experience.”

“It was really well planned and executed,” Naranjo added.

“When you see other bands, they all have really similar set ups and shows. Then, suddenly, we step on the field and have this fight between classical and pop, and I think everyone enjoyed it.”

It’s that unique Falcon brand of entertainment, according to Cain, that seems to win over the fans.

“It’s got this energy that’s unparalleled by all the other bands,” he said.

“We’re out there to try and spark something inside of the people watching, not just inside of the judges. We want everyone to be involved, because that’s what music is all about.”

Looking back over the past four years, Gutierrez said she was confident this was the best season yet.

“This season was the most progressive season we’ve ever had and it was the most exciting season on the field,” she said.

“I haven’t felt that many emotions on the field before. It was awesome, and I’m going to miss marching season a lot.”

Chapman said that this year’s show gave him goose bumps, and the reactions he saw in the audience made all of the work worth the effort.

“It’s an amazing experience,” he said.

“It gets you in the heart.”

Looking ahead as the only returning member for the group, Naranjo said her only hope is that the 2015 band puts in the same work and dedication as they did in 2014.

“That’s what music is run on here,” she said.

“It’s run on people working hard out of the dedication they have for the program and the love they have for music.”