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Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by First year HS on 9/10/2024, 10:52 am

Second year teacher, first year of HS. I've overheard a few of the older teachers/mentors in my area mention something along the lines of "you can either prioritize marching season or (individual development on) All-State etudes, but not both"

The general sentiment is if you put too many eggs in the marching band basket, you will not be happy with the All-Region/State results, and if you prioritize the etudes, you will not be happy with your marching band results.

Just trying to get a feel for how to approach and balance teaching in the Fall semester at the HS level now. I'm fairly confident I can handle the concert season in the Spring.

I'm an assistant at a 6A program that has had All-State and All-Region success but has fallen short of "making state" in the marching season over and over. We make Area Finals on occasion.

Not trying to start a marching band vs concert band debate but honestly looking for ways that you all balance this... we are not staffed as well as the perennial 6A state power houses are.

Thanks for any advice

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by STBD on 9/19/2024, 7:53 am, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

Look at the top placing schools in marching band each year. Look up their all-state history on the TMEA site. You will find that the programs placing high in marching band generally have far more All-Staters than the rest of us.

It is never a mistake to invest in better musicians!

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by Me on 9/12/2024, 9:29 am, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

Nearly all students (and schools) who see consistent success at the 4A, 5A and 6A levels at the All-Region or All-State process have private lessons.

There, I said it.

Your school-day job is to teach your BAND. If you want "all-region success" then you need a staff that can do it - and/or you need to be prepared to offer before and after-school tutoring to your kids.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by More food for thought on 9/11/2024, 9:21 pm, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

There are many schools that are successful at both (Lewisville and Leander ISDs come to mind). There is a balance for sure, but the process of all-region/all-state improves the individual musician. The better the individual musician, the better they will perform their music (both marching and concert).

I think it comes down to *how* you help them prepare and *what* resources you have to help them. Are you able to do weekly masterclasses/sectionals?

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by DFDubber on 9/11/2024, 1:10 pm, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

Honestly all-region is not something you can effectively do in a classroom setting. I was previously an assistant at a large school in DFW (a 6A powerhouse as you say). We had many kids make all-region every year, but they all learned the music in their private lessons. Now I'm at a not-so-big school with hardly any lesson program, and hardly any kids make region. I've tried working it in class, but with so many different etudes to learn, unless you have several assistants who can pull sections, it's not going to be effective.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by yeah on 9/11/2024, 12:13 pm, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

I have never worked at a program that was a state contender. But I have worked at solid programs and had my own share of all staters over the years. Personally, I think it's possible to do both. Yes, the student has to do the bulk of the work but theres no reason a class cannot be structured to allow students to be worked with maybe once a week (assuming there is another teacher to work with them). Maybe reach out to a nearby university (if any) and see if a professor would be willing to do a masterclass, or even just come out once and hear a few kids as they get further along in the process.
I think stronger individuals make your overall program better. Including the marching band. Just my opinion.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by 5A DFW on 9/11/2024, 10:23 am, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

We are a 5A school in DFW and we do all-region etudes one day a week and the rest we do marching band. Tuesdays are our masterclass days and where they focus on fundamentals on concert instruments and region etudes.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by Bill on 9/10/2024, 6:10 pm, in reply to "Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

Just my thoughts: All Region, Area, and All State are individual competitions, and the reward of earning a chair belongs to the individual. If they want to be successful they will put in the effort on their own time. Of course you should help them prepare but not to the extent that it takes away from the Marching Band prep for contest.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by Bingo! on 9/11/2024, 8:49 am, in reply to "Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

This is the answer and mirrors the approach I have developed after 20+ years of teaching.
I was an All-Stater and I don't think my band director ever even listened to me play my etudes.

Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State

Posted by at a minimum on 9/11/2024, 4:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Balancing marching band VS All-Region/All-State"

There was a student who learned the wrong rhythm in one measure of one of the etudes. He realized his mistake when he heard the other auditioners playing it the correct way. He tried to correct it when it was his turn to play, but muscle memory took over and he played it the way he had been practicing it for months. At the end of the day he was ranked second at region. Between region and area he practiced the correct rhythm and placed first at area. Moral of the story: At a minimum listen to everyone who’s going to audition and make sure they are not making a fundamental error like that.

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