FORT WAYNE – The Homestead High School marching band has done plenty of rejoicing since it won the Indiana State School Music Association marching band finals Saturday.

First there was the celebration at Lucas Oil Stadium after the victory, then another in the packed gym at 3 a.m., and then again Sunday when students paid tribute to their band director, Steve Barber.

The latest celebration, but perhaps not the last, came Tuesday, when Homestead had a pep session to honor the marching band – the first to win a state championship since 1996. At the end of the day, the entire student body gathered in the bleachers to pay tribute to the band, which sat in chairs in the middle of the gym floor.

After administrators lauded students for their hard work and success, several band members presented a large, multi-level trophy to the school.

“Recognition of a state championship only happens very rarely, and we thought it was important to take time out of our day to celebrate,” Assistant Principal Jennifer Bay said. “These kids are phenomenal.”

The Homestead marching band has gone to the state finals for 25 consecutive years, placing in the top four 22 times, according to Barber. The band has won the state championship five times in the last 25 years, including in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2011.

This year, the band beat second-place finisher Avon High School, which placed first in the Bands of America Grand National Championships last year.

Students won with a program called “Children of the Sun,” whose music was almost entirely created by local composer Kent Klee.

Anna Tatara, a junior and drum major, said she and her fellow band members were touched and inspired by the support from parents and friends.

The 241-member band spent more than 400 hours practicing this season – time Tatara said made her a better musician, but also a better person.

“We’ve learned what it takes to have dedication to something,” she said. “When you start something, you’ve got to finish it.”

dhaynie@jg.net