RSB3 prepares for new season

With camps, leadership training and rehearsals in full swing, the Graham Rompin’ Stompin’ Big Blue Band is preparing for their debut in the first Steers game Aug. 30 at Hirschi.

Band Directors Josh Kidd and Dax Freeman said the upcoming show idea for the 2019-2020 school year came about during their trip to the annual music convention in San Antonio last year. Kidd said the directors pitch new ideas in September for the show for the following year and went through a number of ideas before choosing one for 2019-2020.

“This year we are doing a fun show that we put together called ‘Road Trip,’” Kidd said. “Basically, it is a musical journey from the West Coast to the East Coast and it has got a little bit of something for everybody. We’ve got some (of The) Beach Boys in there, some Tupoc in there, Country Roads is in there. We have some jazz (with) “New York, New York,” so you get a little bit of flavor of everything regionally and the band members are really excited about it and I think it is going to be a lot of fun on Friday nights and Saturdays in October.”

In June and July, the Bella Blues and color guard hosted an auxiliary camp and leadership training, workdays, rookie camp and full band rehearsals began. From July 30 through Aug. 9, full band rehearsals are held both inside and outside on Newton Field with the exception of Wednesdays.

“We do about six hours a day, three hours in the afternoon inside on music, and three hours in the stadium each night basically until school starts,” Kidd said. “Lots of time and effort goes into it. These kids have to work around a lot of schedules. Our athletes in some cases are going to football in the morning or cross country or tennis or one of the other things they are doing this time of year, then they have to turn right around and do band stuff, so they stay real busy.”

In 2018-19, the band made outstanding drumline and front ensemble and were first place in Class 4A and 3rd place overall during the Iowa Park Marching Festival. The band was a UIL area qualifier in the region marching contest and made a superior rating in both concert and sightreading for the UIL concert and sightreading contest. Several students were selected for honor groups throughout the year along with strong performances in solo and ensemble. The JV band also made a superior rating in concert.
With band starting early in the summer and having competition throughout the year Kidd said the program is usually the first and last event for the entirety of GISD. Last year the final event for the group, state solo and ensemble, was two weeks after school had ended and with the competition came the rivalries.

“Between UIL, state competition and then other competitions like Bands of America that is hosted all over the country, they can be incredibly competitive,” Kidd said. “Lots of time, money and energy go into designing and teaching kids to do just amazing stuff. It can be pretty cutthroat when it comes down to it and unlike other activities, most band competitions you get one shot. It is either great or it’s not. There is no losers bracket, it is just one and done.”

For the rest of the story, see the Saturday, Aug. 3 edition of The Graham Leader.