Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2016
5
TBA News
Michael Brashear, TBA Executive Director
Greetings from the TBA office! By the time you receive
this magazine, much of your spring semester will be
complete. I hope that your performances at contests and
concerts this spring met or exceeded the goals you set for
your students earlier in the year. Hopefully the feedback
and critiques from contests and festivals will help you
evaluate your performances and develop a plan for further
improvement.
While everyone certainly places a high level of
importance on contest ratings and results, it is always
important to remember how far your students progressed
throughout the entire year. You alone are in a position to
evaluate that progress. In most cases the excitement of
the “1st Division” or “Best in Class” trophy fades rather
quickly, but the memories of the great performances and
of the daily rehearsals, sectionals, and all the work leading
up to the performance last much longer. In many cases,
some of the most memorable
musical moments occur in
rehearsals rather than in a
performance. Therefore, it is
always important to enjoy the
process as well as the final product.
As you prepare your TO DO lists for May, don’t forget
to pre-register for the TBA Convention/Clinic to obtain
your best value—the discounted pre-registration fee! I
encourage you to register online and to reserve your hotel
rooms now. Last year, most of the hotels sold out. With
the DCI Southwestern Championship on Saturday, July
23, along with rooms needed for the TCDA and TODA
conventions, I anticipate even more demand this year. DCI
is offering a special ticket discount for TBA convention
attendees. Information will be included in the email receipt
you receive from TBA when you pre-register.
