The newest installment of the fast-paced, first-person video game, Halo 4, may have been released Tuesday, but a YouTube video posted by an American Fork High School Marching Band player promises to make your heart pump just as fast.

On Monday, Adam Townsend, a student at American Fork High School and a member of its Marching Band, posted a video of the band’s encore presentation after it had won the Utah Marching Band State Championships in the Dixie University Stadium in St. George. But the video is unlike any other: The camera strapped on Adam’s hat revealed for the first time the difficulty of playing an instrument while meticulously and sharply move in the routine’s perfect timing.

The first-person video was made this past week-end, when 36 bands from four states competed for not only the Red Rocks Championships but for the title of Utah State Champions. American Fork, West Lake, Lone Peak, Tooele and Grantsville garnered the State Championship award in their divisions. The bands were judges by six of the nations top marching band judges in areas such as Music performance, Visual Performance, Percussion and Color Guard. The win for American Fork, capping an almost-perfect season, left its students wanting for more.

“I have no words to explain it,” said student Camille Prestwich. “Scratch that. There are not sufficient words in the dictionaries of any language that could possibly describe what this season has meant to me.”

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my high school life,” said another student, Jordan Spencer.

“I’m a rookie and I loved it,” said Katelynn Steinbrenner. “I can’t explain this season! I would love to march with this band again! I would not choose to march with any other band but this one!”

But the trip to the competition was not event-free as news of a fire on board one of its buses brought back memories of a bus tragedy three years ago. On the way to St. George Thursday, the bus transporting the color guard had an electrical fire, but a band dad who was close by was able to stop it. 

To see an encore presentation of the marching band, go to the Band Bash in the High School gymnasium tonight. This event will include all concert bands from the Jr. High and High School.