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Fall Concert Band

Posted by sit down band on 3/30/2026, 1:23 pm

For my hs colleagues out their. Do any of you attempt to do any concert band during marching season? How do you manage that with the intensity of marching band season?

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Happy on 4/1/2026, 8:10 am, in reply to "Fall Concert Band"

I am very happy to see other people giving attention to "concert band" in the fall. I am the only one on our staff who thinks it is not only important, but beneficial.
I have the 3rd and 4th band: many of these students get a tiny bit of an inflated ego because they've "got it down" on music that has been drilled for months. But then I pull out some very simple pieces to read through and they quickly realize where they are at. It's a good thing for them to realize there is still work to be done on their playing.
My colleagues are always hesitant because MARCHING BAND! But we are not a "competitive" school and we always play it a little safe.
It makes them so much better. Just like everything else we do - consistently dedicate time to things that are important and your students will grow.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by older than dirt on 3/31/2026, 11:08 am, in reply to "Fall Concert Band"

during my time at a big school, 5A, we had four band classes. Our top band began "sit down" band after 4 weeks of school calendar. They came to marching (full band) after school but they worked on a concert program for the middle of October. The second band began sit down music after the end of the first six weeks. Unfortunately, the other two bands did not work on sit down band until marching was complete.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Me on 3/31/2026, 7:42 am, in reply to "Fall Concert Band"

Every Tuesday is "Concert Horn Day" throughout marching season beginning the second week of school (as the first week of school usually has that Tuesday as the first day of school for us).

If you can't give up one in-class day a week in the fall, you've either drastically overprogrammed your show or you're wasting way too much time on the other four days and 8 hours of rehearsal a week.

Marching season lasts eight weeks of the school year, eleven if you make SMC. Concert season lasts the other 23-26. Don't let eight weeks take over the other 26. Your 1 on stage in UIL means a lot more to hiring FAD than your 1 in marching band, too.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Mr. Dude on 3/31/2026, 3:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Fall Concert Band"

You've never worked in a small school. It's okay, though...I'll help you out.

Most of us get 2 - 3 hours A WEEK outside of school time. Marching rehearsals during the school day are a MUST.

Do we have indoor music rehearsals, yes. Do we play concert instruments, no.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Brkt87 on 4/1/2026, 11:45 am, in reply to "Re: Fall Concert Band"

^^^ This...

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Me on 4/1/2026, 8:28 am, in reply to "Re: Fall Concert Band"

10 years in 2A/3A schools. 10 years in inner city schools with the same scheduling issues.

Try again.

It's still important to focus on fundamental quality tone and center that you get from concert horns. Focusing on tone quality for 48 minutes a week in class will help you earn that first division. Again, if you can't get it done giving up ONE day a week, you're trying to do too much.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Sit Down Band Yes! on 3/30/2026, 9:07 pm, in reply to "Fall Concert Band"

Once marching band isn’t so new anymore to the year and things start to get into a routine, we’ll pick the middle of the week for a sit down concert band day. Sit Down Band days happen mainly at the end of August thru all of September. In October, we just play it by ear and decide weekly depending on the marching shoe progress…. lol. Still doing the same fundamentals and skillsets being taught. There will be more fun activities incorporated into sit down band fundamentals. We make an effort to sight read fun music so their reading skills are still getting developed and stretched.

Re: Fall Concert Band

Posted by Somewhat on 3/30/2026, 6:07 pm, in reply to "Fall Concert Band"

We do sit-down band at least once a week starting around the 3rd week of school, usually 2-3 days/week by mid-October. It gets concert horns on faces (for those who play something else for marching), cleans out the ears. Since starting that a few years ago we've had better tone quality both indoors and outdoors, and better scores all around. We lose a bit of marching rehearsal time for the week, but the benefits are worth it. We do a mix of fundamentals, chorales, and reading music for winter concert.

I've heard of programs doing a fall concert. I can't imagine where that would possibly fit into the calendar.

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