Supporting Kids and the Pursuit of Excellence

If you are new to the program (and even if you're not), you probably have some questions about band competitions.  Here is some information you might find useful:

* All parents are invited to contests.  In fact, the more, the merrier, since judges notice crowd response.  Most contests charge an entry fee, usually between 2 and 5 dollars.  This is where the host school makes its money.  Please don't complain to the gate workers.

* When our band arrives, there will be a flurry of activity as the kids change clothes, unload the equipment and get organized.  Everyone (directors included) will be on edge to some degree as they focus on the job at hand.  Please be understanding of this if you choose to help out.  Don't take anything personally!!  There are a lot of nerves on edge!!

* Parents are NOT welcome to go the warmup area with the band.  Not even to watch from a distance.  This is an extremely important time for us, and we want no distractions.  Just go to the stadium and wait for our performance.  Enjoy the bands that perform before us.

* It is totally appropriate to applaud or cheer during a performance, especially at a particularly big moment.  However, please don't yell the names of individual kids at any time, including the set up time.  This is very distracting to someone who is already nervous, and may negatively affect the performance.

If the contest is selling "band-o-grams," please refrain from buying them.  Some contest use them as a money maker, but the announcements as the bands set up are distracting, and often unprofessional.  For many of us, it ruins the moment that these kids have devoted so much time to preparing for. 

* In truth, the competition has already occurred before everyone gets to the stadium.  We're essentially just showing the judges how prepared and well rehearsed we are.  Professionalism and Dignity care a lot of weight with the judges.  For this reason, please understand that no one is playing defense.  NEVER be rude regarding another band's performance - it's not appropriate, and you never know who can hear what you say.  We ALL look bad if we don't realize that every kid performing at the contest has worked extremely hard to prepare for the event.  We need to show our appreciation to every band and their performance.

* Judges are looking for several things, and each contest is judged on its own format.  At every contest, judges are evaluating the musical performance, the marching performance, and the way the music musical and visual elements coordinate, which is called the "Effect" of the program.  Music judges will listen critically to the tuning of the band, the balance (whether all the parts are heard), the timing, the contrasts, and they will certainly notice wrong notes.

* In terms of marching, the judges will evaluate the fundamentals being displayed, and compare them from one student to another to check uniformity.  Also, this judge will be looking around the drill formations checking for equal spacing between individuals, and making sure round forms are round and straight line forms are straight.  This judge also checks for posture, instrument carriage, facing and timing.

* The Effect caption is very subjective.  This is where the show design and the excellence of the students' performance is analyzed.  For example, judges will listen to the music and determine if the drill formations are appropriate to the style of the music.  He will also analyze the color scheme chosen to interpret the music, and will critique anything about the show that enhances or detracts from the performance.

* There are judges who focus solely and the colorguard, the drumline and the drum majors.  These judges are trained in these specific areas, and provide more detailed commentary to these groups and discuss issues specific to their performance and technique.

* We try to teach our kids to be the classiest band at every event.  This needs to carry over to our fans, as well.  Unless you're not normal, you will feel strong emotions during the day (pride, excitement, anxiety, etc.).  By all means, allow yourself to enjoy the day and be proud that you're from Pocahontas.  Very likely, folks from other schools will congratulate you and share nice things with you when they realize where you're from.  It would be great if you truly enjoyed someone's performance to share that with THEIR parents.

After the awards, we will all be emotional again.  We could be ecstatic, or we could be disappointed.  We stress to our students (and our fans) to accept any outcome with grace and class.  It's perfectly OK to feel strong emotions, but we don't rub in our success to other bands, and we don't begrudge bands who beat us.  NEVER confront a judge, contest host or fan, even if you are upset about the results.

* Something else we try to ingrain in the kids is that "With Talent Comes Responsibility."  Chances are, we will do well at the competitions.  Therefore, we have a responsibility to set a good example for other bands and their fans.  People always notice the people who don't applaud their competitors.  Image is everything, and again, every student who performs that day has worked hard to get there.  They deserve our respect, attention, and support.

* One of the biggest no-nos at a contest is to enter, exit, or move around the bleachers while a band is on the field.  Of course, talking out loud is extremely rude, as well.

* At most events, bands compete within their classification.  All the bands from a particular class will perform in the same block of time (except at Potosi).  Although there are usually some Overall Awards, we aren't going head-to-head with abnds from other classes unless there is a finals competition.  Most awards recognize success within classes.

* Each contest is judged differently, and you can't compare a score from one contest to the score at another.  Some contests use a judge for each specific category, and some use judges that judge everything at once.  We'll know before we go which system is in place.  There are pros and cons to each system.  Some judges will be great, and others not so much.  At a contest, you perform your show and the judge gets one shot to notice, evaluate and analyze everything they can.  Bands don't get credit for how much they've improved - just for the performance they give that day.  Sometimes, judges will get us for problems we already know exist, and sometimes, they'll miss them.  Sometimes we get more credit than we deserve, and other times we feel like we should have gotten more credit.

* Band contests are a lot of fun, and we are always proud of our kids when their hard work gets noticed by professionals who understand how things work.  We're also proud of our kids when audience enjoy what they're doing.  Come along with us, and have a great time!!