Tiger Band prepping for 2016-‘17 school year

The Wills Point Tiger Band began marching once again Aug. 1, laying the groundwork for its upcoming year by picking up from where they left off at the end of the 2015-’16 school year.

The Tiger Band is coming off on another banner season, with the band earning a Superior rating at the UIL Region 3 4A Marching Contest, the Midlothian Marching Festival and the UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests, winning a silver medal at the Princeton Marching Contest and earning another UIL Sweepstakes Award.

Enthusiasm has been high during the opening weeks of practices, with 145 students registered to participate in the high school band program.

Tiger Band Director John Young stated, “We are working on marching and playing fundamentals as well as teaching our competitive marching band show. The band students are doing great. We have been very careful with the heat making sure we are taking good care of the students’ health.”

Asked whether preparations so far have been different this year, with the biennial UIL State Marching Band competition back on the calendar in 2016, Young noted, “It is really business as usual. We rehearse to improve and get better each day. We try to provide us with a competitive show musically and visually that will show off our talented students.

Our show for this year is called ‘Shattered’ and uses music from ‘Lux Eterna’ by Clint Mansell and ‘Sweet Dreams’ performed by Eurythmics. The theme of the show will be very evident throughout the production. I believe that it will be very entertaining for the audience.”

In order to punch their ticket for the UIL State Marching Contest in San Antonio, the Tiger Band will need to earn a Division One Rating at the UIL Region Marching Contest. The next step will be there Area Contest, where the band will compete against approximately 24 bands with at least two, and possibly up to four bands move on to the State Contest scheduled for Nov. 7, 2016.

Even with the State Contest on the agenda, the Tiger Band will once again be busy besides.

“We are excited about supporting our Tiger football team this season,” said Young. “We will be very involved in marching band for the months of September, October and November. Our band students will also be preparing for All-Region Auditions in early December as well as other events for the first semester.”