Strike up the Band! The inaugural Canyons District Marching Band is racking up awards on its march to the Nov. 1 state championship.

The marching band won second place, and its drum line won first place, at the Oct. 15 Davis Cup Marching Band Competition, the oldest of its kind in Utah. The win is a big one for the new marching band, which welcomes participants from throughout the district and is housed at Alta High School. The students competed in the 2A division – competition categories are based on band size – at the more than 40-year-old annual competition, and faced off against seven other schools with established marching band programs. The new marching band also has secured Outstanding Percussion and third-place awards at the Nebo Invitational, and a Third Place trophy at the Mt. Timpanogos Invitational.

The inaugural CSD marching band will participate in the marching band state championship in St. George Friday, Nov. 1. The band is under the direction of Alta’s Bill Mattingly and assistant director Caleb Shabestari. View photos of the band on Facebook.