Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2015
6
TBA News
Michael Brashear, TBA Executive Director
Greetings from the TBA office! Even though you will
read this article in December, it is now the week before
Thanksgiving and I find myself reflecting on many things
I am thankful for. Along with many of you, I am most
thankful for my family, friends, and the freedom we
enjoy as Americans. I am thankful for my job, wonderful
co-workers, dedicated TBA Board members and the
opportunity we all have to serve the band directors in our
state. The “band business” has been very good to me and I
hope that all of you enjoy your time as a band director as
much as I did. There is no greater profession than that of
teaching, which provides us with the opportunity to have
a positive impact on our students and affect the future of
our country.
As I watched all of the bands perform at the UIL State
Marching Contest, I was thankful to live in a state which
produces so many outstanding bands. I am pleased to
recognize all of these groups that qualified for state in this
magazine and congratulate these students and directors for
the standard of excellence achieved. We also have many
groups traveling to Chicago to perform at The Midwest
Clinic this December. Those groups are recognized on
page 23.
When asked why Texas has so many great bands and
why Texas is the best “band state”, I offer several reasons.
Our UIL contest system encourages many groups to
achieve excellence and rewards those groups by using a
rating system at the region level to measure success rather
than picking just one winner. In addition to assigning a
rating, UIL judges offer positive critiques to help directors
improve their groups. The
TMEA Honor Band system
showcases the best of the best
at the TMEA convention and,
along with outstanding clinics
provides learning opportunities for directors. TBA offers
outstanding professional development clinics both at our
convention and during the year through our Professional
Development Outreach Program. Robert Floyd and his
team do an amazing job of music advocacy and work
endlessly with our legislators at the state level to protect
and promote music education. Many outstanding Fine
Arts Directors and Administrators work daily at the
local level to ensure great arts programs in our school
districts. However, the MAIN REASON that Texas has so
many great bands is that we have so many GREAT BAND
DIRECTORS, period. Now that’s something to be thankful
for! Congratulations to all of you—keep up the great work!
In addition to publishing several informative articles in
this magazine, we present a new blog from D’Addario, our
TBA Professional Development Outreach Program sponsor.
On the last two pages of this
Bandmasters Review
, we
feature three articles focused on woodwinds, percussion,
and fretted instruments. I hope you enjoy reading this blog
and find all of our articles to be helpful.
Here’s wishing you a very restful and happy holiday
season. I hope you enjoy some quality time off with your
family and friends and come back refreshed and ready to
start the spring semester.
What Would You Like to See at the 2016 Convention/Clinic?
Do have an idea for a clinic you would like to see at the convention this summer?
Have you recently heard an excellent speaker?
The Texas Bandmasters Association is now accepting clinic proposals for the 2016
Convention/Clinic. Visit the website
to submit your suggestion
online or contact a TBA Board member (see page 4 for the list).
