Page 18 - 2018-BMR-December

Creating a Culture of Excellence in Your Second and Third Bands

• Score study is ESSENTIAL when picking young band n Is the fifth of a major chord on a note with a flat

pieces. Because of the limited range of young band tendency for that instrument?
students, you will often get some “wonky” orchestrations n Is it possible to easily rewrite it? When rewriting
in young band music. When looking at a potential piece, cadence points, ensure that you do not change the chord
look at the major cadence points. structure. You are simply swapping notes around to put the
n What is the orchestration for those major cadence instruments on a note that can easily achieve the tuning
points? needed for that chord.
n How many students do you have on each part - how
many root/third/fifth will your ensemble have on that
cadence point?
n Is the third of a major chord on a note with a super
sharp tendency for that instrument?

It truly is the second and third bands that determine the strength and depth of a band program. By creating a
culture of excellence in these bands, we can give these non-varsity students a tremendous band experience and
prepare them to move up and contribute to the top band in the future.

Brittney Cook is the Associate Band Director at Briarhill Middle School. She teaches the Concert Band, assists with the Symphonic Band and teaches
beginner woodwind classes. From 2010-16, Ms. Cook was the Assistant Band Director at Byrd Middle School in Duncanville, Texas. While at Byrd
Middle School, she taught the Symphonic II band, assisted with the Symphonic I and Symphonic III band, and taught a 7th grade beginner woodwind
class. In addition to her responsibilities at Byrd, she taught 6th grade beginner woodwind classes at Daniel Intermediate and assisted with the Duncanville
High School Marching Band. In 2015, the Byrd Symphonic I band placed 4th in the TMEA CCC Honor Band Competition. The Byrd Symphonic I band
was also named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Competition in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Ms. Cook earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. As a student at NSU, Ms. Cook was a four year
member of the NSU Wind Symphony and the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra, and the principal piccolo player of these groups for three
years. She also performed with many chamber ensembles and served as the Head Drum Major of the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band. Ms. Cook
was also a three-time member of the CBDNA Louisiana All-State Intercollegiate Band.
A native of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Ms. Cook graduated from Lamar High School where she was a member of the Lamar Symphony Orchestra,
named the 2004-2005 TMEA Honor Full Orchestra. Ms. Cook remains an active musician in the DFW area. She currently plays flute for the Mesquite
Symphony Orchestra. She also plays in many local community bands and in pit orchestras. Ms. Cook has also presented clinics on Flute Pedagogy at
the TMEA and TBA Convention/Clinics. Ms. Cook holds professional memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters
Association, the National Flute Society and the Texas Flute Society.

Bryn Roberts is the Assistant Band Director at Reedy High School in Frisco ISD, where she conducts the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. Ms.
Roberts has been at Reedy since the school opened in 2015. Before coming to Reedy, Ms. Roberts spent seven years as an Assistant Band Director and
Color Guard Director at Westlake High School in Austin. During her time at Westlake, the marching band advanced to the UIL State Marching Contest
four times, making finals three of those times. They also made the finals at the BOA San Antonio Super Regional four times. In 2012, they won the
Sudler Shield, recognizing outstanding marching bands. The Westlake Wind Ensemble was selected to play at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in
Chicago in 2013. In addition, all four Westlake concert bands received Sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest for six consecutive
years, and all four bands performed at Carnegie Hall in 2009 and 2013. All thirteen years of Ms. Roberts’ career have been spent directing 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th bands.
Ms. Roberts graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas Tech University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music and received a Master of Music Education
from Texas Tech in 2014. She has presented clinics at The Midwest Clinic, the Texas Music Educators Association convention, and the Texas Bandmasters
Association convention. She has had articles published in the Southwestern Musician and online with Texas Music Education Research, the SmartMusic
blog, and Band Directors Talk Shop.

Bandmasters Review • December 2018 16 Texas Bandmasters Association