Music Participation Numbers Reach More Than a Half Million
By Julianne Coyne, UIL Intern | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 4:01 PM
The Monahans High School band gets ready to march at the State Marching Band Competition at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Photo by Stephen Tidmore
The numbers are pretty staggering.
More than half a million students participated in a UIL music activity last year.
The breakdown looks like this: 849 marching bands, 3,208 concert bands, 1,152 orchestras, 2,750 choirs, 109,699 solo entries and 16,846 ensemble entries for UIL during the 2009-2010 school year.
Amanda Drinkwater, band director at Marcus High School in Lewisville, understands the impact music can have on students. Her band captured the division 5A State Championship this year.
She said performing arts programs provide opportunities for so many students to develop interpersonal skills.
“The team aspect of these organizations cannot be overstated, as there is truly a collective, vested interest in the successes and challenges of each and every member of the organization throughout the year,” Drinkwater said. “In many cases, students feel that the other band members are part of their extended families.”
Drinkwater said that the state championship was not the main goal at the beginning of the school year.
“We ask that students put forth their best efforts and strive to instill in them an appreciation of great music and a willingness to perform to the best of their ability each day,” Drinkwater said.
Like most programs in the state, Drinkwater’s band began practicing in early August. She said that all marching band students work hard to make their community proud.
This year, a record number of bands participated at the State Marching Band Contest in San Antonio.
In November, the contest saw 36 5A bands and 23 3A bands to give a total of 79 performances. More than 28,000 spectators and participants were in attendance.
“Based on the decisions of judges from across the state, more bands qualified to go to area this year,” Music Director Richard Floyd said.
Since each area advances bands to state based on the number of bands competing, the competition experienced a higher-than-usual number of performances in San Antonio, Floyd said.
“There is no question that the quality of performance at the state level was at an all-time high,” Floyd said. “It was a very successful two days.”
The winning band for division 3A was Argyle High School. Kathy Johnson is the band director there.
“I am still in awe of the complete success of the event,” said Cody Birdwell, director of bands at the University of Kentucky and member of the contest’s judging panel. “We all benefit from the UIL Music Division’s guidance and leadership in our profession.”