An East Texas Marching Band Upholds A Tradition - Maybe For The Last Time
As high school football season moves into playoffs, another kind of competition is taking place: the Texas University Scholastic League’s marching band contests. And though most people are familiar with what’s called “corps band” – those half-time shows with catchy pop tunes and elaborate props – another marching tradition is part of the competition, too.
In pockets of the state – mostly in East Texas – some bands march in the traditional military style, with its straight lines, sharp turns and classic arrangements of John Phillip Sousa marches. They’re some of the last military-style marching bands in the country. Of the 1,077 high school bands in Texas that competed at the regional level, only 66 were military bands, according to the University Interscholastic League, or UIL – that’s just 6%.
White Oaks Marching Band is one of those battling to keep a dying tradition alive, making its last stand at the Alamodome for the UIL competition. In San Antonio, 350 miles from home, the White Oak band of East Texas gets ready for the performance of a lifetime – a performance that may very well be one of the last of its kind.
Defying the odds
Jason Steele is White Oak’s band director. He knows that it’s been nearly twenty years since a band like his has won a state competition.
Read more: https://www.kut.org/post/east-texas-marching-band-upholds-tradition-maybe-last-time
As someone who marched in a military style band, I do miss the precision marching that corps style bands show. My final year of high school we transitioned into a corps style and I wasn't impressed. The step-two and kaleidoscope drills along with the contrasting stripes on our pant legs showed off our marching abilities far better than the current uniforms that are single colored which helps hide when a band member is not marching in step.