HomeMy WebLinkAboutBABand01De 6A The Eagle /Bryan - College Station, Texas — Saturday, Novemb 10, 197
Strike up the band...
a
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...at Bryan and Consol
Ay PIISTY CAWLEY
Staff Writer
As marching bands go, they
represent contrasting styles. One is
a precision marching band,
preferring traditional British and
American marches. The other fits
into the contemporary mold, using a
drum and bugle corps approach that
emphasizes variety.
Yet both the Bryan Viking Band
and the A &M Consolidated Tiger
Band are among the most award -
winning high school bands in the
state.
In its nine years of existence, the
Viking Band has failed to earn a first
division rating in the University
Interscholastic League marching
competition only once. It has won
seven straight under present
director Pete Rodriguez.
Rodriguez prefers a military
marching style, with an accent on
precision and carriage. He expects
the music to convey pride and
Pam Hunneyc,
and Sharon Bertand,
right, are Consol
clarinetists.
mold. That's on homecoming night,
when the band puts on ITS only
showband performance of the year.
"This year we did a salute to Louis
Armstrong," Rodriguez said.
"People tend to relate to that type of
thing more than they do military
bands. I'm not sure why."
"That's why I think many high
school bands are changing," he said.
"They're going for more audience
involvement."
It was for that reason that the
A &M Consolidated Tiger Band
gradually abandoned the traditional
style for the drum and bugle corps
style, an approach that developed in
the northwest part of the nation.
"The big difference is that the
show is aimed at the audience," said
Tiger Band director Bill Atkins. "In
the traditional style, you choose
your dri!: first, then find music to go
with it. In our style, we fit the show
to the music."
The music the Tiger Band uses
varies. They mix marches witl- jazz,
classical pieces with arrangements
to the latest top -40 hit.
"We feel there's just more
audience appeal with this style,"
Atkins said.
Not that the Tiger Band hasn't
been successful with traditional
military marching. It has received
nine first division ratings in the past
10 years. The band, marching 114
Players, will compete in UIL com-
petition on Tuesday.
"Over the past few years, we've
gradually phased out the traditional
style," Atkins said. "This year
we've added a rifle corps, and a flag
corps. We've also put our percussion
in the center of the field. They stay
there the entire show."
"We work for an emotional peak in
the show," he continued. "We really
work at getting the audience caught
up in the show."
Photos by Kathy Young and Steve Boehm
t
I
dignity.
"I've always preterreci the
military style," Rodriguez, who has
directed band for 32 years, said. "I
don't know why. I love jazz. I write
jazz. But I've always felt that a
marching band should have the
dignity of a West Pointer, or a John
Philip Sousa, or the Marines."
The Viking Band marches 162
Players. Its size allows the band to
continue marching military style in
a time when most high school bands
are abandoning it for a showband
Style.
"It's a difficult style to master,"
Rodriguez said. "If everything isn't
in place, you're in trouble, because
People hear you with their eyes."
"But our size allows us to use
military style and still look im-
pressive," he said. "If I directed a
smaller band, I might reconsider."
Only once during the year does the
Viking band step out of its military
is
:- - and takes" 4 0:_a a play iirg fie3,j
Bryan percussion section, featuring snare drummers.
James Arnold of Bryan.
Patty Pinnel of Consol.
Bill Atkins of Consol, left.
Bryan cornet player eyes his music.