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LISD bands taking it to the limit

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Do they practice too much? Some parents think so
From their entertaining halftime shows to their burgeoning trophy racks, Leander ISD's high school marching bands have a growing reputation for precision and pageantry.

Vista Ridge High School Band qualified for state after performing at area UIL competition on Saturday, an honor earned by only four out of 24 bands in Area D; fewer than 10 percent of Texas 4A schools advance to state.

Leander High School Band recently earned a division I rating at the UIL Region Marching Contest - the 22nd consecutive year the band has taken the top rating at regional competition.

Cedar Park High School Band took grand champion in the Sam Houston State University Marching Band Festival on Saturday and got three straight division 1 ratings at Regional competition on Oct. 20.

The pride, showmanship and discipline come at a price. LISD band students put in many hours of hard work to achieve success. Is the price too high? Should concert band be separated from marching band? Band students and parents will soon have a chance to answer these and other questions on a survey developed last spring by a committee made up of band directors and parents from each high school.

“The survey will be very all-encompassing,” said Assistant Superintendent Brett Champion. “It will look at all aspects of the band program. We want feedback about the whole thing and we're excited to find out what people say.”

The survey is almost finished and should be available in mid-November, in both online and paper versions, Champion said.

CPHS Band Director Steve Wessels noted that Texas high school bands are prohibited from practicing more than eight hours per week by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). Bands that break that rule can be disqualified from UIL events.

Wessels said CPHS band practices sometimes seem long to freshmen who aren't used to the heavier workloads of high school in general. “It's a time of transition,” he said. “It's part of growing up. When kids get older, they're going to spend less time at home. They can spend it with friends, getting in trouble, or in programs like ours, where we keep them busy.”

Wessels isn't keen on the idea of separating the marching band from the concert band program. “In marching band we're teaching them to play their horns,” he said. “It's not just marching. It segues into concert season. If a student were to lay out during marching season, he would be behind everyone else in concert band.”

VRHS Band Director Bryan Christian said marching band helps students develop a strong work ethic and teaches the value of delayed gratification. “I try to help the kids understand that anything worth doing is worth doing well,” he said. “I don't think it's excessive, especially considering the results.”

Christian said his students' practice time is well under the UIL eight-hour limit, averaging seven hours of rehearsal per week, outside the school day. He said band programs in other states - particularly in the northeastern U.S. - have much more grueling practice schedules. “Some bands practice 24 or 25 hours a week,” he said.

Christian said band is very similar to other extra-curricular activities in terms of practice time. “There's no question it takes up a lot of time, but so does football, soccer, and other extra-curricular activities,” he said. “We could spend less time, but the quality would definitely be affected. There are many examples of schools that don't spend as much time as we do and still have good programs, but they are not the same quality that we expect and that the community has become accustomed to.”

Bill Coffey, a VRHS band parent who served on the committee, is among those who feel the programs work their students too hard. “The band program is good for kids, that's very clear,” he said. “As a whole it's good, but we've gone too far in what we're requiring of the kids. I think things have gotten a little too intense. We need to step back and evaluate whether we should have a music program separate from the marching program.”

VRHS band parent Bill Graczyk also had problems with the workload. “In my opinion, it's a little bit excessive and in some cases it's ineffectual,” he said. “My complaint is, kids are locked into this program. If you want any music you have to take it all.” He also feels marching competition has become more important than music education.

“It would be great if marching and concert band could be de-coupled,” he said. “If we can't, then a kid should be able to miss a practice without intimidation for a weekend off or a trip with the family. Band isn't life. Band is a small part of this other thing called education.”

Carla Kirkwood, a CPHS band parent who also served on the marching band committee, does not feel band practice time is excessive. “Anything you do in life, if you don't put time into it, you're going to get a poor result,” she said. “They're teenagers. Most, if they weren't doing this, would be at home playing their games. The things they teach in band - discipline and principles - will help them for the rest of their lives.”

Kirkwood doesn't believe the students are pushed to be competitive. That drive comes from the students themselves. “They don't necessarily do it for the judges,” she said. “They want to do the best they can. When they walk off the field, they want to be able to say, ‘I don't care what the judges said, that was good.'”

Emily Cooper, senior flute player at VRHS, agreed that marching band creates a serious workload, but doesn't find it more than she can handle. “It's a lot, but we can get through it,” she said. “I'm in almost all AP [Advanced Placement] classes and some ACC [Austin Community College] classes. It's a lot of work, but I've been able to do it.”

Stephanie Rusnak, senior trumpet player at VRHS, had a similar perspective. “If you can manage your time properly, you've got time,” she said. “We still need a day off, but we can do it. It's just fine.”

Marching band is just as important as concert band, said Rusnak. “It's a bonding experience for everyone,” she said. “Everyone is going through the exact same thing. There are not a lot of activities like that.”

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