A Texas high school band won $15,000 worth of equipment thanks to the generosity of legendary rock band Metallica.
Boerne High School, located in Kendall County, is one of the winners of the world-famous group’s “For Whom the Band Tolls” contest that challenged schools around the U.S. to create performances that incorporate Metallica songs.
The group is doling out nearly $200,000 in equipment to prize winners across several categories. Boerne tied with a school in Malverne, New York, for “best performance by a medium-sized high school,” reports KSAT.
The teen musicians at Boerne submitted a four-minute medley of some of Metallica’s most famous songs, including the namesake of the competition — “For Whom the Bell Tolls” – “Enter Sandman,” “Fade to Black,” “Seek and Destroy,” and “Master of Puppets.”
“The prize money was used to buy an entirely new bassline to replace those used since 2010. We also purchased several new instruments, so our incoming freshmen all have instruments for the marching and concert season,” Boerne band director Daniel Person said. “We’ve also purchased an instrument that would give students with financial need access to a high-quality instrument through the school.”
The full list of winners, which KSAT obtained, shows that the prizes went to high schools and universities all across the country:
Collegiate – Division 1: Auburn University – $75,000 in prizes
Collegiate – Division 2,3: Eastern New Mexico University – $40,000 in prizes
High School – Small: Oakton High School (Vienna, VA) – $15,000 in prizes
High School – Medium: Tie- Boerne High School, Malverne High School (Malverne, NY) – $15,000 in prizes
High School – Large: Dobyns-Bennett High School (Kingsport, TN) – $15,000 in prizes
Fan Favorite Collegiate – Auburn University – $10,000 in prizes
Fan Favorite High School – Dobyns-Bennett High School – $10,000 in prizes
See Boerne’s prize-winning performance below: