GALLIPOLIS — Gallia Academy High School’s marching band is headed to the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) 2009 state finals to perform this Sunday, Nov. 1 at Dayton Welcome Stadium.

This is the first time the band has qualified for the state competition since 2005. To make the cut, GAHS had to receive a superior rating of one at a local band competition, which they were able to accomplish twice this season, and nearly three times.

The band received a superior rating at the Athens game earlier this month, missed by one point at Nelsonville and received another superior at Bloom-Carroll, to the excitement the students as well as GAHS Band Director Andy Sigman.

“We were singing and dancing the whole back from Athens,” said Caleb Janey, a junior trumpet player, in regard to the band’s initial superior rating.

“We’re very excited,” Sigman said of qualifying. “I’m really proud of the kids and their efforts.”

This is Sigman’s first year directing the GAHS band, though prior to coming to Gallipolis he led the Waterford High School band to the state finals for 13 consecutive years.

Sandy Forgey, director of the color guard, is a graduate of Gallia Academy and was a member of the school’s very first color guard. She said that Sigman himself has judged these types of competitions before, so he knows a lot about what is looked for in a performance.

“I love him, the kids love him. He’s a positive addition to the program,” Forgey said of Sigman, noting his networking ability in bringing in outside expertise to aid band members in playing their various instruments.

“I love Mr. Sigman,” said Kelsey Owens, a junior piccolo player. “He’s very down to earth and he gets to know us on a personal level.”

“He’s awesome,” Janey agreed.

The band’s performance is called “Solar Eclipse” and begins with the music of “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In,” ending with “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” The band forms a sun and the color guard forms a moon that eventually covers the band’s sun, depicting a solar eclipse. At the end of the performance, the color guard forms a large sun.

The music combined with the visual effects are nothing short of delightful.

“We’re proud of the students and appreciate all the support we’ve gotten from parents, students, and teachers. We hope these superior ratings are the first of many,” Sigman said. “It’s nice to get the judges’ approval to show that what the kids are doing is accepted. It reinforces what they have been working for since August.”