The winning continues for the Kiski Area High School marching band.
The band earned another championship win Saturday at the 2021 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) competition, hosted by Gateway High School in Monroeville.
Kiski Area concluded its competition Saturday with a performance titled “Beneath the Shifting Sands” and earned a top score of 93.5, scoring first place in Class AAAA (more than 86 performing musician students).
The band received Outstanding awards in Music, Visual Performance and General Effect.
Band director Shawn Pityk said returning to a “normal” season of competition was welcomed.
“The pandemic brought last year to a complete halt, with many bands either not performing or barely at all. A huge congratulations goes out to all the students, staff and parents from all of the schools who have returned against so many odds. That’s what we should truly celebrate,” Pityk said.
The PIMBA competition was the last competitive event for the band, which includes 120 students.
“I could not be more proud of how hard these students worked all season,” Pityk said.
Kiski Area competed against 16 bands from the Pittsburgh region.
Participating high schools were Penn Hills, Fox Chapel Area, Yough, Elizabeth Forward, Leechburg, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Southmoreland, Trinity, Baldwin, Mt. Lebanon, Hampton, Gateway, Norwin, Mars Area and Moon Area.
PIMBA, founded in 1996, provides marching band field competitions throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Earlier this month, Kiski Area placed first in the Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional competition, Class AA division. The competition was held Oct. 9 in College Park, Md. That win marked the band’s 21st BOA Regional Champion title.
Kiski Area Superintendant Misty Slavic stressed the collaborative effort of many for the band’s continued successes.
“The entire Kiski Area School District is incredibly proud of our marching band,” Slavic said. “Yet again, they have shown how the power of hard work and collaboration culminates in a successful outcome.”
