I agree that marching band can take up too much of our focus. I personally hate that this year we spent our entire fall semester on it, having Area the weekend before the last week of school let out... I haven't had sit-down band for the normal month and a half we would have, and I know that's going to hinder us in the spring.

That being said, my kids generally think of marching band as their favorite time of year. As far as curriculum lacking, I think we as directors can easily address this in our show designs. In the past several years I've been able to expose kids to a lot of music through our shows that they never would have liked otherwise! Getting kids to listen willingly to Grieg, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Holst, and others through our show music can bridge this concern a lot!

I don't like the idea of linking marching band and honor band. Honestly do you really think participation is all that great as it stands in the Honor Band process? I've had two bands at the State level with the process, and while I find value in the efforts of the kids to make a quality recording - it is the least valuable contest to the students themselves. As long as it's based on a recording, and not a live performance, you'll never see it mean much to anyone but the bands that get to perform. (Don't get me wrong, my kids do enjoy the idea of doing well at state) Honor Band numbers are down because the process is exceptionally expensive, and honestly debatable on it being any more responsible for a program than a marching show. At least with a marching show the kids get to participate and obtain feedback to improve from the judges. Honor Band brings none of that.

Want to fix it? Let's add an Area and State level contest for concert bands! Live performances, advancing, getting to travel, etc! I know the State Wind Ensemble contest exists, but it allows so few participants each year it's not really the answer here.

Back to the BOA and USBands being options for the non-advancing years. It works to a point, until you speak with a coach or an admin and explain things. A conference UIL event is always going to hold more prestige in Texas. I would wager that anything short of being a national finalist at BOA means nothing to an average admin versus a UIL event that you place and advance in.

As much as I know it's not the answer, I really do believe this is something that should be left up to school districts to decide. The last time this was surveyed only the 3A superintendents were in favor of every year SMBC. That will have to change if this would be more than this year for all conferences to advance.