Posted by TBA-er on 11/30/2020, 2:22 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
The dates for the convention are on the website, but with Covid, TBA is... wait for it... TBA.
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by Yes on 12/1/2020, 11:16 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
Probably will be virtual. Virtual means not worth dealing with again. Remember that as we keep making conventions virtual, we are training our admin that going to the convention is not important. I’m not chastising the TMEA decision, just saying my admin would like this to become the new normal.
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by Reagan Brumley on 12/2/2020, 1:09 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
Hello!
First, I am thrilled to see that there is already interest in the 2021 TBA convention! At this time, we have not determined that TBA will be virtual. With the advent of vaccines, there is some potential for the pandemic to begin to subside by the time our board must make final decisions about our convention format for 2021. This is certainly not an assurance that the format will be in-person, but what I can assure you is that in-person is our preference and what we will pursue if at all possible. For all who have posted here and anyone else who might ever have a TBA-related question, please feel free to reach out to any of us who serve on the board directly,(contact info here-https://www.texasbandmasters.org/board-of-directors/) or to our executive director, Mike Brashear. You will always receive an honest answer from us, and that will also help us manage speculation that may or may not be founded in firsthand information. Thanks, and I hope everyone has a wonderful final push into the best earned break ever! Reagan Brumley Board of Directors Texas Bandmasters Association
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by so on 12/2/2020, 12:23 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
So will that thinking go for their own conventions, too? And the coaching school in the summer?
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by No on 12/3/2020, 5:19 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
Rules for thee but not for me. When there is a budget crisis does the admin ever take a cut or stop their travels? Nope. Coaching maybe or maybe not. But the coaches have done a better job pushing for games and matches to justify their existence. Band directors have not done that as well.
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by Don't make me laugh on 12/7/2020, 8:32 am, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
How, precisely, are we supposed to "justify our existence" in that case when:
1. Nearly every marching contest/invitational was cancelled. 2. Virtually every trip company cancelled their festival. 3. Rules and guidelines in many counties prohibit marching bands from rehearsing "normally" yet sports practices continue as usual.
It's really easy for a coach to schedule a game - call up the next school over and play one. It's much harder to schedule a marching contest - you need a dozen or more schools to agree.
Have you noticed that virtually zero schools are participating in or holding basketball (or held volleyball) tournaments? It's because bringing that many people in to one place is a wild card that's simply not acceptable to the risk managers.
The fact is, UIL is run by football folks, first and foremost. What benefits FOOTBALL is what UIL will do. (See: Creation of 6A, splitting of every other conference into "big" and "small" school divisions, even though it now causes some schools to have 200+ mile one way trips for district games)
The next step down is basketball, then spring sports like baseball and soccer. What band needs from UIL is frequently at or near the bottom of the list of priorities. The only activities that get less oversight and support from UIL that I can see are robotics, academics in general, and One Act Play.
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by Disagree on 12/7/2020, 7:44 pm, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
You don't need a dozen schools to have a contest or performance. And contests aren't the only way to engage a community and have it support the program. Why couldn't 4 or 5 schools show up to a contest or evaluation and perform?
Coaches got out on day 1 after the world closed in March and started saying why they needed a fall schedule. They got their parents involved. They got their athletes involved They pushed and made sure everyone in the world knew they wanted to play and practice and would do whatever it took. They were on the news showing their protocols and doing interviews. They made sure they were visible. Those "Texas" schools didn't budge and even though the Big 10/Pac 12 thought they were the influencers quickly learned when the SEC said they wanted to play they were not. Texas coaches took the same approach and had the parents behind them.
Meanwhile, I saw a lot of "can't" on this board from directors saying it was unsafe and too hard and they didn't want to be there. I saw a lot of directors trashing coaches saying they didn't care about kids or health or safety when in reality, they did and do, (mental health matters too). In fact, the only teachers I saw make the news WANTING to be in school were the coaches while classroom teachers begged and protested and sued to stay home. Don't think that went unnoticed to the taxpayers.
Contests were cancelled, yet one small school Northwest of Houston hosted an event for a number of other schools looking for a place to go. Festivals were cancelled yet that isn't what drives bands. You don't need a festival to show relevance.
I saw a number of schools, small and large make it work because they were persistent and their parents/students wanted and supported it. I saw a lot of big players bow out early, (which is fine), but then put themselves in a place they couldn't come back from. Stop making excuses about football and basketball being in charge of UIL. I guarantee you if some of the big dogs in the state would have had their supers pushing for bands to be as active as athletics it would have happened. It could be done safely, (as a number of schools have shown).
Re: TBA Dates?
Posted by smdh on 12/8/2020, 8:26 am, in reply to "Re: TBA Dates?"
You're right. Everything's fine. We should 100% open back up.
Never mind that the head football coach in Forney DIED yesterday due to COVID.
Never mind that as of September, teachers in five more states have also died due to COVID. I personally know of four in Texas who have died since then, too.
It's all about optics and performance! Screw our health and our lives, WE NEED MARCHING BAND. We've gotta PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE and MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC KNOWS THEY NEED US.
