Dreams became reality for the OHS band when Governor Jay Nixon invited them to play in Hawaii for the 70th anniversary of the Commissioning of the USS Missouri in the summer of 2013.

A year and a lot of fundraising later, the band boarded two planes and flew to Hawaii on June 10. While there, they participated in performing service songs in front of the USS Missouri and a flag raising ceremony on the USS Arizona. According to the lead director, Mr. Vance Brakefield, the event was “a mixture of patriotism, gratitude and awe”.

A few days later, the band played in the King Kamehameha Floral Parade. This was a four mile march in Honolulu that involved many other bands around America. The OHS band was awarded “Best Marching Band” in the performance.

“We’ve never done this kind of parade before, and we came out on top,” said flute section leader Donald Rabin.

However, the trip wasn’t all ceremonies and parades. The activities included of island tours, luaus, and free time on the beach. After the Hawaii trip, the OHS band is already starting to practice for the upcoming football season.