Long nights of practice and rehearsals have prepared the Los Altos Entertainment Unit (LAEU) for their 52^nd Los Altos Home Tournament on Nov. 6 after almost a year and a half without competing.

Hosted by LAEU, LAHS marching band and other schools’ marching bands will be attending the tournament, with the LAHS marching band performing their Field Show called, “British Invasion.”

The band will represent Los Altos with their musical artistry, intricate show designs and team spirit as they put on an unforgettable performance.

“For this tournament, and all our other tournaments, our Marching Band has been preparing through practices starting in summer and continuing thus far into the school year,” Francisco Delgado, President of LAEU said. “Moreover, our LAEU has been preparing through attempting to get parents to sign up to volunteer and for preparing ourselves for a full day of running the tournament.”

Being a part of LAEU, the LAHS marching band showcases the result of their passion for musical craftsmanship through hours of practice and rehearsal.

“Typically our Marching Band rehearses for 3 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our rehearsals go from 5:30-8:30 PM on

Tuesdays and 5:00-8:00 PM Thursdays,” Delgado said. “Occasionally, we also have scheduled times this year on multiple Saturdays to work on getting things, such as props, prepared for our show!”

At the recent Wilson Band Tournament, the LAEU won first place overall, with color guard and drumline placing first as well. LAEU performed their winning show pieces at lunch on Wednesday for their fellow Conquerors to enjoy.

Much like their performance at lunch, Delgado said the LAEU members’ devotion and commitment to their craft have always been representing the Los Altos spirit.

“I want [Los Altos students] to know how hard every person in the Los Altos Entertainment Unit has worked in preparing to put on the tournament and to perform our show. Field shows take time, patience, dedication, and a lot of work,” Delgado said. “The LAEU constantly strives to work to represent our school under the best light and with the highest honors. Our LAEU members always strive to support our school, its environment, and its community in all ways that we are able to.”

Waiting patiently with a nervous heart for their home tournament to come, LAEU has prepared 70’s British Pop performances with songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and “Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles.

“Of course, for this tournament I’m most looking forward to being around the people in the Entertainment Unit. We spent nearly 1.5 years without competition or even being able to meet together, so being able to compete is definitely brightening,” Delgado said. “I’m most looking forward to seeing how we, as the Entertainment Unit, come together to put on our 52nd Field Show Tournament and perform an exciting Field Show!”

From hours of practicing together to rehearsals to preparing for tournaments, LAEU has developed a close-knit community with its members, where students are able to interact with others of the same interest for music and performing.

“Everything we do feels like an adventure, feels like a journey, feels purposeful—everything we do feels worth it because we get to do it together. The music, the experiences—it all feels better because we all get to do it together,” Delgado said. “The music we play, the performance we put on—none of it would feel the same without the amazing, extraordinary, inspirational people we have in the Los Altos Entertainment Unit.”