The Nashville High School Marching Band ended their competitive season in Pinckneyville at the 23^rd Annual Mardi Gras Field Show by repeating as 1^st place winners overall in Class A.  Against 4 other schools in the class, they won overall, as well as percussion and color guard or flags.  Music Director Steve Browne summed up the season, which started in June by putting the Native American-themed halftime and competition show together, through the final competition in October, so it’s like a marathon.  They performed at O’Fallon first, which features the best bands of the metro East and Saint Louis area schools.  While he thought they did better than last year for the first show of this year, they did not win a trophy, as they had won 3^rd place last year.  He says NCHS will always compete at this event, it is just hard to break into.  After being off competition for a month, they went to Effingham and won almost all the categories in their school class, despite he and the students not thinking they performed well.  Then it ended on Saturday in Pinckneyville.  Last year, they also placed 1^st in Effingham.  The season was dedicated to Allison Williams, who was killed in a car crash this year, as she had been a part of the band for 4 years before graduating.  The season isn’t officially over, as the band will perform during this Saturday’s home playoff football game, but will not be performing the halftime show as usual.  Up next is the musical, Annie, later this month, as well as preparing for the upcoming Christmas Concert by the various choirs, concert band and jazz band.  After the new year, the music students prepare for more competition in the solo and ensemble event, as well as for organizational, which features the bands and choirs, all to earn points for placement in the state rankings.  Browne says all of this will be getting the students ready for their summer trip to New York, as the choir will perform at the Statue of Liberty and the band will perform in the most famous concert hall in all the states, if not world, Carnegie Hall.