okay so im in contemplative mode today and I was just wondering......am I the only one who sees a correlation between the two? I mean I know that its discouraging to make 3s and 4s every year so some BD's are just like F it.....but I am a firm believer that any band director who takes UIL and concert season seriously and not treat it like its just something the state of Texas makes them do can and will have a successful program. What are your thoughts??

You need to be a member of bandhead.org to add comments!

Join bandhead.org

Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • I feel like this, even thought its not really a showband thing, our should they and do what they normally do yet within the restrictions of the UIL..

    They don't take what we do seriously because they think all we want to do is dance and play loud.. The Core of Marching band is Marching. and from what i see, they mainly judge based on general (proper) Musicianship and Marching technique, (both marching and playing) not how Fancy its done. Its not a Corps band thing,General band Technique is all Military anyway whether 8 to 5 or Stride step (6 to 5)

    I've watched classic UIL performances and read up on what they expect and It's not Hard, Come to think about it, its the same thing our bands are judged on in New Orleans parades. The situation is no different, Look Good, Sound Good.. You Get a Reward.. Simple as that.

    I also think that, If your band is not normally ran within the standards of the UIL, the score you gain there shouldn't be used to define your band.

    It's the same way I feel about the LMEA, Competitions, There were situations where band members from N.O. would say "We Got ## Score in LMEA so where the best" . That score only defines that your director is teaching the standard values of music and showmanship.. it doesn't say that you're the best band in your city at all.

    For it all depends on Which band goes where...

    when I was younger, Most bands who participated in LMEA from N.O had well rounded programs, but their marching band was Far from the best in the city.. and I referring to a time where All of our bands were Well rounded.

    I've never Actually been to an LMEA or UIL competition but I would love to be at one. .. S

    .. my thing is.. There's more to band than shucking and jiving...
  • in tx you hav to do uil, in la lmea is/wasnt mandatory. i dnt think some n.o. couldve made it in a uil like competition because its a gigantic jump from sitting concert band to blowing marching band

    The Book said:
    I feel like this, even thought its not really a showband thing, our should they and do what they normally do yet within the restrictions of the UIL..

    They don't take what we do seriously because they think all we want to do is dance and play loud.. The Core of Marching band is Marching. and from what i see, they mainly judge based on general (proper) Musicianship and Marching technique, (both marching and playing) not how Fancy its done. Its not a Corps band thing,General band Technique is all Military anyway whether 8 to 5 or Stride step (6 to 5)

    I've watched classic UIL performances and read up on what they expect and It's not Hard, Come to think about it, its the same thing our bands are judged on in New Orleans parades. The situation is no different, Look Good, Sound Good.. You Get a Reward.. Simple as that.

    I also think that, If your band is not normally ran within the standards of the UIL, the score you gain there shouldn't be used to define your band.

    It's the same way I feel about the LMEA, Competitions, There were situations where band members from N.O. would say "We Got ## Score in LMEA so where the best" . That score only defines that your director is teaching the standard values of music and showmanship.. it doesn't say that you're the best band in your city at all.

    For it all depends on Which band goes where...

    when I was younger, Most bands who participated in LMEA from N.O had well rounded programs, but their marching band was Far from the best in the city.. and I referring to a time where All of our bands were Well rounded.

    I've never Actually been to an LMEA or UIL competition but I would love to be at one. .. S

    .. my thing is.. There's more to band than shucking and jiving...
    The Correlation Between taking UIL/Concert season seriously and having a blowing band
    okay so im in contemplative mode today and I was just wondering......am I the only one who sees a correlation between the two? I mean I know that its…
  • My thinking is this....I was a former student of a Texas HS and we had to do UIL every year. In texas, and other states that draw primarily from the SWAC influence, there is this stigma about what black bands think is "a white style of music" and what the UIL will accept as a grade a performance.

    Look at school band exhibitions in Georgia and Florida, where black bands often outshine their white counterparts in Field and Concert settings. Bands like SWD, Miami Central, Stone Mountain Stephenson HS, Miami Carol City, etc. and other schools in the Metro Dade and Atl area often score superiors at contest.

    The main reason why bands make 4's and 5's at UIL in texas is not b/c UIL or LMEA hates or is biased toward our style of marching.....they really could careless to be honest. Truth be told, and this is from a dude that has adjudicated many a high school band myself, alot of Texas bands just really dont sound good....at all. Or, they have a flawed perception of what a good sound is. It is very possible to have a band with a great tone and have them be a beast too....matter of fact, its alot easier for a band to str8 boss hogg when the musicality is nearly 100% on a college level.

    In texas, you dont see to many programs focusing on the fundamentals, whereas in Georgia and Florida, a place where most HS band directors come from universities that have outstanding musical programs like Florida State (awesome program....hands down), FAMU, BCC, Univ. of Georgia, etc., to these bands musicality is second nature. All it takes for them to be a beast is wind control. I can show several clips where Miami Central Senior HS in 1997, under the direction of Dr. Shelby Chipman, was 270 deep and had a sound that would make SU crap all over itself. And at times, they even made FAMU themselves do a 2x turn and take notice!

    So it can be done, a band that does great at UIL and can hammer any band in the 5th. Willowridge used to prove that years ago. But, I will say this, Texas needs a better breed of band directors in the school system. Alot of these young kats outta the SWAC really arent good musicians themselves.

    I might sound biased toward FAMU on this one, but I do believe that the foster method of music fundamentals is the best method to go. Bands that have used the foster method have generated great musicians (Dekalb County, Cobb County, Metro Miami Dade, South Florida). I also would examine the New Orleans methods, as well as some ideas from SU. Doc Greggs is big stickler for music, and playing it RIGHT. Miss that ole dude. We need more directors like Greggs and Foster back in the HBCU circuit.
    http://level.In/
  • I'm a product of what was the only show style band in San Antonio (Sam Houston(little band with the big sound)) and we went to UIL marching and concert competitions every year. But it is discouraging to a program to keep receiving substandard scores based on the style of music and marching the program did.

    In areas such as Houston/Southeast Texas and Dallas the show style bands are a little more accepted than in San Antonio. Fortunately for we've had two great directors come through the program, my BD being from a good program @ Southwest Texas State (Texas State Univ) and the current BD a product of FAMU that have taught the fundarmentals of music while keeping with the tradition of the schools band program to please the alumni and followers.

    I know for a fact that UIL judges discriminate against bands styles of music and marching.... As long as the band has a quality sound and their show and marching is good the music and style of marching should not matter.

    But I do agree it is up to the directors to give the students the best opportunities to prove doubters wrong about our bands musical ability by teaching them fundamental musicianship.

  • even if this topic was drug out from the bone yard...

     

    we went to UIL in the fall for marching band...did Birdland, Get Ready, In The Stone Fanfare, and Malaguena. we got 3s across the board, though we got what we performed.reason beign we missed two sets and had one two low brass n one tuba. We dont believe hat we would get cheated out because before we used to do very cray UIL shows. We had a very balence sound in this show because me n my sax section made up for the lack of low brass. but realy...it does look bad when you go in there doing a Showstyle show an play the music u would usually play super loud...very soft...its not the same. im sure 8-5 marching can get 2s n 1s at UIL but it has to be in sync with the music u choose. not nothing repetitive jammin tunes.

     

    UIL floa drills aint that hard at all. its actually pretty fun!!

    • Houston has a elementary and middle school problem as far as programs go. Those schools that score 1s and 2s in UIL got kids starting band in elementary or at least a passing knowledge of basic music. They are being tutored at home (possibly from a family member at the least). The middle schools they attend have beginner Intermediate and advanced programs where grade doesnt matter. They enter high school with all the fundamentals checked. Most kids at 'the other schools' start band in high school cuz it wasnt offered in middle school let alone elemntary

      Now whats funny is that there are 2 big ass middle school bands (in the hood) in Houston that are zoned to a school that really doesnt want a band...I don't know what you call that. They could instantly be the largest band in the city, but we got to worry about these dumbass admins and the attitude of 'showstyle is wrong'. I know of 3 corps bands that would be GREAT showstyle bands at least parade wise and a BOTB here and there. Then go and score 1s at UIL. But History shows that those schools become targets of their districts with rezoning to find a reason to shut the school down (hint hint)

      • I believe it. But i think this Regional band thing that the show bands are doing in Houston, why not promote more UIL style music, it aint a bad idea. Get these kids playing more difficult music. Yeah they start out in high school is the excuse or the reason why they cnt get good...Well then how did Sam Houston come up in just one year?? or SFA having a consistent band for 3 years, or Worthing with their size stil push out alot of the larger bands.

        This regional band camp thing can be an advantage, technically u can work on UIL style music n marching throughout the whole summer without practice restrictions. when School starts, bands are restricted to 8 hours after school a week. At this point, you have to work with what ya got. because we will not will this politcal battle until UIL scores come up because since that is ran by the state, that is what defines ur program, it sucks i know but most of those bands earned those scores because they didnt do somethign right. UIL is based off of LOOKING ALIKE and i know many many of these bands dont even look alike in their own style. what makes them think they will go with the same style to UIL n do well?

        • Austin has a middle school feeder. Not so sure about Sam Houston but where Austin has 1 Sam Houston has like 2.5 or 3 middle school feeders, but I am not sure they have bands at those schools. That was an admin decision to break that band up. thats why they starting over...
  • Hey yall do know that nobody is going to stay on topic right?
  • A real program can do marching and also show our counterparts that we can play the same level of music they play in Concert Festival. Many of the predominately black schools needs to stop taking concert band lightly because that's the season where you really learn the fundamentals and most of the times concert music calls for various elements, many that aren't used during football season. I have always respected the Atlanta Predominately Black Bands, especially SWD because they have a nice marching band and they have a very nice concert band. Love they aren't one dimensional. We as black people have always had to prove ourselve so i don't know why many people act all new when it comes to marching band vs festival time. We need to take everything serious be it marching or concert because trust me, we are being watch and people love to see us fail.
This reply was deleted.