The Yellow Board

I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work.

Posted by frustrated on 2/22/2021, 9:05 pm

I will have (hopefully) all of my HS band kids only two more times before UIL. One third of the students will miss every other day left.

I wonder what people would think if I took the band to a playing tournament and festival 3 of the 5 days this week.

The whole reason I chose to go to contest early is to avoid all the conflicts with sports. It seems like events are just pushed back earlier and earlier on top of band.

Rant over.

Re: I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work.

Posted by TEACH BAND on 2/23/2021, 5:31 pm, in reply to "I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work."

Help kids to love music and band. Music for the sake of music, the rest of this just doesn't matter. I know its frustrating but there are some things you just can't control. Anyone can understand a sport in about 5 seconds, throw a ball, kick a ball, in the goal, over the fence, across the goal line...not much intelect needed. Band on the other hand is much more complex, sometimes people don't know if you are any good unless you tell them, they know if they liked it or not, but not if it was good or not.
Remind your kids that the jocks will be looking for a job from them some day.

Re: I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work.

Posted by this is why on 2/23/2021, 9:40 am, in reply to "I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work."

It's because coaches are allowed by principals (often ex-coaches) to schedule an almost unlimited amount of non-district games or tournaments, yet they will frown and scrutinize a band director for going to ONE pre-UIL event. Then suddenly, they'll bark about kids being out of school and missing STAAR preparation. Shoot, I was at one school where kids actually missed the FIRST THEREE DAYS OF SCHOOL to play in a volleyball tournament. I don't know how big schools are, but I find what you described to be typical of small schools. I know not all of them, but quite a few of them. And the ones that operate like that don't really care how the band does at UIL. They just want them to go so they can say they went. All they really care about is the band playing the fight song, school song and Star-Spangled Banner at football games and "making noise for our boys" in the stands. And they want you to give a Christmas Concert (most don't care about spring concerts), march in the local nose picking festival parade and play for send offs for the basketball or baseball team. And after all of that plus no support and a low or non-existent budget, the kids make sweepstakes and there is no recognition for their efforts. Just crickets. I'm so glad I'm retired.

Re: I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work.

Posted by Lucky on 2/27/2021, 12:58 pm, in reply to "Re: I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work."

Early contests give you options at year's end. If you have the budget left you can play a totally new program for a festival. Honor bands can be won this way. And if there's a water park near by so much the better! Thank you Rob T.(canton festival)

Re: I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work.

Posted by DesertJazz on 2/23/2021, 8:31 am, in reply to "I chose the early contest to avoid sports... didn't work."

Easter and STAAR caused a lot of sports to move up a week if I remember correctly. Could you ask to switch contests due to last weeks mess?

We're going in mid-April this year, and I'm grateful for that. Even that though became obscenely close when I started looking at the calendar yesterday.

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