Good teachers, dedicated students, supportive parents. It’s a winning combination, as illustrated by the success of the marching bands at Lawrence High School and Free State High School. In fact, it’s a combination that spells success in any number of student endeavors.

The LHS and Free State bands placed first and third, respectively, in Saturday’s Heart of America marching competition at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium and have scored well at other competitions throughout the fall. When asked to explain the excellence of local high school bands, the responses of parents, teachers and students touched on some important themes.

Lawrence, as a community, supports music and other fine arts, they said. Teachers, not just at the high schools but also those who prepare students in junior highs, also are a big asset. Band obviously is a popular activity at the city’s two high schools. In fact, with 165 and 170 members, the high school bands match the size of the struggling KU marching band.

There’s plenty of credit to go around for the bands’ success, but a couple of comments in Wednesday’s Journal-World story about the bands seem to stand out.

First was the outstanding involvement of marching band parents, who raise funds, serve as chaperones, decorate lockers and even pick up band instruments to better appreciate the difficulty of what their children accomplish on the field. They are proud of their children, and were quick to call the Journal-World to task for underplaying the success of local band members in Saturday’s competition. Their continued support of and involvement in their children’s band activities is a wonderful example of the important role parents play in student success, even at the high school level, when teens are pushing for more independence.

Then there are the students.

“They’re very dedicated,” said Free State band director Randy Fillmore of his band members. “They are willing to put in long hours to achieve their goals.”

Most of the students in high school marching band won’t pursue musical careers, but if they learn nothing else in their entire high school careers than the need to be dedicated and “put in long hours to achieve their goals” they have a good chance of being successful in life.

The students obviously enjoy what they do – although some may have questioned that while marching in Saturday’s cold rain – but band obviously offers lessons that go well beyond fun or even music. With dedication and support of others, there’s no telling what someone can accomplish in life.