How Do You Rejuvenate a Band Program

[montague1]

I played 4 years of football at Lexington High School. One of the things that I loved about Friday night was the massive Tiger Band playing Eye of the Tiger as we ran through the sign to take the field. There was no other feeling like it, the band played a big part in the game that we were on the field playing. That was 1992-1996

 

Enter 2007. There is no massive Lexington band. Our band only has about 12 members. They play and try hard, but since I can barely hear them in the stands, I know the team can not hear them on the field.

 

My question is, What can we do to rejuvenate our band?

 

Our band has to witness countless other 3A teams and bands come in here, and they have massive numbers. They play to the crowd, they play selections that are easily recognized. They show off their drum line and everyone loves that. What can we do to turn this around at Lexington?

 

I see a debate on this board that questions band as a sport. I'm not going to get on here and say band is a sport, but band is 100% part of a sport. I go to lot of college football games, the bands complete the experience. This year is the first I have have missed the Southern Heritage Classic, I go to see the TSU and JSU bands. I fully support the band. I just want to know what steps have other schools taken to turn their program around also. I admit, it starts at the top, I think our director is not proactive into getting this band where it needs to be. I'm not bashing him, but it is the truth. I want to see some major changes in our direction, doesn't have to be the person, however it can be the philosophy. We can do better at Lexington.

[Robyn]

Interesting question, montague1! I'm sure if it were easy, every band in the country would be great. As with trying to turn around a football program, it will take years of dedication by both director and students. It will also take a focused, driven, goal-oriented and highly analytical director to effect this change. Just as it probably took years for the band's slow decline, it'll take time to build it back up.

 

I'm not familiar with the Lexington program, so I'll speak more generally.... Most good school bands have good middle school bands. A middle school director who is a solid recruiter, teaches sound fundamental playing, and promotes high school band is the key to starting a re-building process. As with a football team, having quality players from the bottom up helps the strength of a consistently strong program. Every band director toes a fine line between "content" and "entertainment". There's an ongoing debate in the band world (and on football message boards!) about what music a band should play. That debate is largely irrelevant in this topic except to say that the band should play music that is exciting and entertaining to the musicians. Doing so will help retain good players and recruit younger players to band in the first place.

 

A large part of recruitment is perception. Everyone wants to be a part of a winning tradition. This is true of football or band. Once a band has sunk below the "poverty line", it's tough to bring it back. Some ideas might be to emphasize some points of strength in the program. If the band is small, but has a fun or exciting drumline, the director should make that drumline a point of emphasis. As that portion of the band gets stronger, the director can begin to use that popularity as an opportunity to recruit more kids to the band. Expanding the color guard or adding a dance team are other ways of improving the size/image of a program to help in recruiting. Another way to increase the size of the band is to increase their involvement in pep-rallies and other activities. If the band is a integral part of many school functions, more people will want to be a part of it and therefore it will grow as an ensemble.

 

I've seen many small bands who play with excitement and energy to a very enthusiastic crowd. I've also seen many young and enthusiastic bands entertain at half-time. Every band has it's own formula. One thing that seems to be consistent in good bands, though, is recruitment and retention.

[nrgrizzlies]

Have to have a good middle school band program where the kids don't quit.

 

If it doesn't start there, the problem won't get solved.

[bellgo]

Interesting question, montague1! I'm sure if it were easy, every band in the country would be great. As with trying to turn around a football program, it will take years of dedication by both director and students. It will also take a focused, driven, goal-oriented and highly analytical director to effect this change. Just as it probably took years for the band's slow decline, it'll take time to build it back up.

 

I'm not familiar with the Lexington program, so I'll speak more generally.... Most good school bands have good middle school bands. A middle school director who is a solid recruiter, teaches sound fundamental playing, and promotes high school band is the key to starting a re-building process. As with a football team, having quality players from the bottom up helps the strength of a consistently strong program. Every band director toes a fine line between "content" and "entertainment". There's an ongoing debate in the band world (and on football message boards!) about what music a band should play. That debate is largely irrelevant in this topic except to say that the band should play music that is exciting and entertaining to the musicians. Doing so will help retain good players and recruit younger players to band in the first place.

 

A large part of recruitment is perception. Everyone wants to be a part of a winning tradition. This is true of football or band. Once a band has sunk below the "poverty line", it's tough to bring it back. Some ideas might be to emphasize some points of strength in the program. If the band is small, but has a fun or exciting drumline, the director should make that drumline a point of emphasis. As that portion of the band gets stronger, the director can begin to use that popularity as an opportunity to recruit more kids to the band. Expanding the color guard or adding a dance team are other ways of improving the size/image of a program to help in recruiting. Another way to increase the size of the band is to increase their involvement in pep-rallies and other activities. If the band is a integral part of many school functions, more people will want to be a part of it and therefore it will grow as an ensemble.

 

I've seen many small bands who play with excitement and energy to a very enthusiastic crowd. I've also seen many young and enthusiastic bands entertain at half-time. Every band has it's own formula. One thing that seems to be consistent in good bands, though, is recruitment and retention.

 

 

Excellent post!! I could not have said it better! /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

 

I actually remember seeing Lexington's band back in 1992 at the band competition at Montgomery Central and they did a good job. The only thing that stood out was the instrumentation. They had so many saxophones!!!

[TyTnGirl]

I'm very familar with the Lexington program; my brother and I both marched in the "Tiger Band". I was there from 1984-1989, and I can give a little background on the deterioration.

 

There were problems with the program even when I was there which stemmed from dischord between the LHS director and the director at the main feeder program, Caywood School. By the time 1992 rolled around the damage had been done. Mr. Harris, who had been the director for around 25 years retired and the boosters hired a first year teacher who breathed a little life back into the program. Those familiar with band would recognize that young teacher as David Aydelott who went on to John Overton, Ravenwood, and is now at Franklin. Mr. A was able to energize the program for four years (1992-1996)... but as so often the case he went on to "greener pastures". After he left, the school has not been able to keep a director for more than two years it seems, most likely due to a lack of support from the administration and the community.

 

Notice I said, "the boosters hired"? That should give you a clue that the administration at LHS was not supportive of the program as far back as 1992. And now that principal who was eventually fired from LHS is the principal at the new middle school in the city... yes, the feeder program of LHS. It's really a quagmire of politics that this program faces.

 

As for the feeder program... it started deteriorating back in 1982 when Gary Mullins left. Mr. Mullins (who was my beginning band teacher) is now at Calloway County in KY... a fine program if I may say. At that time, the early to mid-80's, the director at Caywood was part time at the high school and part time at Caywood. While not ideal, this kind of setup allows for continuity between the feeder and the high school. Because of the dischord mentioned earlier, the director who followed Mr. Mullins was hired full-time at Caywood to be the computer teacher and only taught band after school. I'm not sure how it is set up now, but I'm pretty sure there is not a full-time teacher designated solely to band at the middle school.

 

In the past the other schools in the county shared one director who traveled around the eight elementary schools, which means that the county school kids due to logistics do not have band every day. I know that the teacher in the past had to fight to get space to teach the kids. One principal kindly gave the janitor's closet to the band for a couple of days a week, another a locker room. This is why the Caywood program was depended on to provide students to the high school band. Hopefully the situation is not as dire as it was in the 90's, but it sounds as though it has probably gotten worse with only 12 kids in the band.

 

Honestly, until the politicians involved in the school system realize the importance of music education and support the band programs, there will not be a lot of change. By support, I don't necessarily mean financial. There has to be awareness raised of the situation and it's ramification. Until you can change the tide, the band will suffer I'm sorry to say.

[codeyh]

Want to see a program that's gone from excellence to the brink of existence?

 

Dyer County High School.

 

when I marched (graduated in 2001) we were busting at the seams as a AA/Div 1 band. won more trophies in my four years than just about any class.

 

Our director retired I believe in 2003... and that's when it all fell apart.

 

enter today.. a pathetic excuse for a band, who can't seem to keep a decent director. It's a shame really. and the administration doesn't want to help out either.

[herefortheband]

i have seen the quick fall of a program and the quick rebuild of it. if a grand directo leaves, there are big shoes to fill and it take a certain person with a certain chemistry with his/her students to make big things happen. there are a few things that are incredibly improtant to the rebuild/strenght of a band program

- strong director who knows how to be a leader to the students

- a director who lets the kids lead each other on the field and let them be the true teachers

- a STRONG, devoted, driven, skilled, personable, and leaderly batch of seniors who really WANT to be the change

- parents who give their time, talents, and, yes, money to make the program great (BDs CANNOT run a program, especially a marching program, by themselves)

- administrators that back the band 110% that will allow them the special requts that the program requires

- strong booster board that will write grant letters, organize fundraisers, and do all the administrative work that needs to be done

- involvement from the high school in the middle schools that feed it. the younger kids need to see that high school band is a blast. their time is begged for by many different extra curriculars that they could commit to and they need to show the middle schoolers that they want them so badly to come and enjoy their band family with them.

 

that is only a small list of things that help a program. to truely grow a program there has to be the motivation from every front to get things to happen.

 

good luck to your schools band