The KU Band Day, held annually in Lawrence for the past 70 years, was cancelled this year at the beginning of marching season. The Lawrence High School band is disappointed at the lost opportunity to showcase what they have prepared.

Band Day was a collaboration between the KU School of Music and surrounding high school marching bands. Lawrence High School has participated in the event for decades.

“We have been doing band day as long as they’ve been doing band day,” band director Mike Jones said.

Preparation for marching this season was especially grueling for students. On top of the hours spent practicing at Band Camp, held before school starts, this year the band had to relocate to the KU campus.

“We weren’t allowed to be at Lawrence High because they were working on the turf, so we practiced at the KU practice field, which is just west of the Lied Center,” said Jones. “It was a little more difficult than normal.”

In past years, the Lawrence High band has participated in the event by marching down Massachusetts Street with other groups from different schools.

“I think it really was a nice way to showcase all sorts of different bands, you know you have the bands who like to go out and compete, and you have the bands who like to just play on Friday nights, and you have the small town bands,” Jones said. “You see all of them there and they get supported, and there’s nothing like marching down Mass Street. It’s pretty awesome.”

Band Day was cancelled because of a $20,000 budget cut to the KU School of Music. In order for the event to be able to happen, the School of Music had to pay for various costs charged by the City of Lawrence.

“It cost money to shut down the streets, to have the police there, to have barricades there, and then all of a sudden those dollar figures start adding up,” Jones said.

“You’re either going to cut people, or you’re going to cut things that you do,” Jones added. “I don’t think they took it lightly, but budgets are budgets and something had to give.”

Sophomore Addison Agnew, who plays sousaphone, was saddened at not being able to play in what would have been her first KU Band Day.

Agnew hopes to lead her section in the future, but notes that she could have used the experience at Band Day.

“I won’t have experience so I can’t really tell people what it’ll be like,” Agnew said.

Cancellation aside, students are enjoying their marching band experiences at Lawrence High.

“Band camp is really strenuous and hard to get through but it’s a really good place to make friends and everyone’s really nice to each other and it’s like a family,” Agnew said. “I was new so when I messed up I felt bad, but everyone is just nice and they make you feel better.”

Senior Vanya Racy, who plays tenor saxophone, described his time with the band as “overwhelmingly positive,” and said that his peers in band were “absolutely amazing individuals.”

Both students are hopeful for the future of Band Day and their director Mike Jones also wants to see the event return.

“(Band Day) is not my call,” Jones said. “It would be nice to have it, have a parade back, but I understand, I can’t give them $20,000 to go to the bands.”