cfband

I know most of the people on here know a lot more about the music than I do - but I do know about the $$$ it takes to move and feed and house 200 band kids to a contest or football game. Everything from ice to snacks to truck rental. We would love to have a custom written show - that will have to wait. We would love to hire an art director - that will have to wait. We would love to have multiple color guard outfits We would love to have tons of flags for the guard - that was a money issue we faced last year As for as travel goes - our school district completely surrounds the Johnson Space Center. Because of all the layoffs last year and this year - our district did not let any school groups take any out of state trips. One exception - Clear Brook went to BOA Atlanta because they had already paid for the trip when the policy was announced.

As a band parent and co-chair of our band boosters fund raising - MONEY HELPS A LOT. Our band is 3 years old - this is the first year that we could afford a full time color guard instructor - and no - the school district does not pay for that. We are from an fairly well off district and school - but the cost of starting from nothing has been mind blowing. Its all the little things that add up - transportation (4K to take charter buses). A band meal is $600 (170 kids) and we have 2-4 meals a week with contests and football games. We spent 18K on a trailer this year (thanks to generous donation of 12K from a well off band parent) Props are way down on our list of expenses. Believe me - at BOA and SMC - you can see the money on the field.

I am fairly new band parent - only 3 years of doing this - at a new high school with a new band program. Are Bell's programs always as dark as the last couple of years? I realize that what they do is difficult - but I would need medication after awhile.

Just have to say - It is way cool to sit here and watch the 5A SMC!!

I was not talking about UIL - I was talking about Denton BOA, Woodlands BOA and a possible third in the Hill country.

What about the Area Regionals serving as "qualifiers" for SA? I am a band parent from a new high school - Clear Falls. We went to SA for the first time last year (our 2nd year - no seniors). We had fun and it was great seeing all the elite bands, but in hindsite - it was a big expense and we would of probably been better served finding a small contest somewhere without the hotel and chartered bus expense. Qualification would of forced our hand.

I am a novice at this - but I have started to notice some "slight of hand" tricks that programs use, esp in UIL. IE - doing difficult moves during a drumline or pit break, dividing the band - having one half play and the other have do difficult drills. I know this is not something new, but it is new to my untrained eye. We have a brand new band program - this was the first year to have seniors - and we are all learning - director's, students, and parents.

Do the same judges judge the same element in Prelim vs Finals in UIL? IE is J4 in Prelims still J4 in Finals?

I have seen TWHS show 5 times this fall (Believe me, that is enough when you are competing against them). It is amazing. Simple - Clean - Emotional. I not much on Props just for props sake, but in Sept they had a 5th letter on the field that was not opened. NUMBER ONE question in the stands was - What does that letter say? It was killing my wife. That is how emotionally involved the audience gets. They have removed the fifth letter, but still saw women wiping their eyes at area last Saturday.