Band

HISTORY OF THE PANTEGO PANTHER BAND

PCA’s band program was begun in 2001 under the direction of Joey Guess, the band director for two years. Under Mr. Hanna, the following year, the band competed in its first TAPPS Music contest and advanced to the state level. In 2004, Ross Brown took the reins of the band program. Since then the band program has become a staple of the Pantego landscape. Mr. Brown continued the development of the program, and the band has advanced to the TAPPS State level each year since his arrival. The marching band program was started in 2006, followed the next year by the jazz band program has become the unofficial ambassador for the school to the community, performing at different venues across Pantego and Arlington, including the Cowboys Stadium and Barnes and Noble at the Parks Mall. The marching band competed in the TPSMEA State Marching Contest for the first time in 2008 and the concert band also started attending the TPSMEA Concert Band and Sight Reading Contest in the same year. The band performed as a joint middle school and high school band until December of 2009 when the bands split to their first independent middle school and high school concerts. This has allowed the program to continue raising it musical standards and to perform challenging music. The band’s continual improvements have been embodied in its first-time representation by two of its members in the TPSMEA All-State Band of 2009-2010, followed by four representatives the following year.

PANTEGO PANTHER BAND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Concert Band

• 2010 Region and State Sweepstakes-Instrumental 5th TAPPS 3A
  • TPSMEA Concert and Sight Reading Contest-Sweepstakes
• 2009 Region and State Sweepstakes-Instrumental State Champion TAPPS 3A
  • TPSMEA Concert and Sight Reading Contest-Sweepstakes
• 2008 Region and State Sweepstakes-Instrumental State Champion TAPPS 3A
• 2007 Region and State Sweepstakes-Instrumental 5th TAPPS 4A
• 2006 Region and State Sweepstakes-Instrumental Runner Up TAPPS 4A
• 2005 Region Sweepstakes
• 2004 Region Sweepstakes

Marching Band

• 2010 TPSMEA Superior Rating, 3rd Place Division 1

• Past Marching Shows
  • Rhapsody in Blue (2006), Music of Russia (2007), Big Band Show (2008), Across the Stars (2009), The Planets (2010)

Jazz Band

• 2008, 2009, 2010 Superior Ratings at TAPPS Region and State

All State Band Members

• 2010/2011 – Caleb Smutzer, Jacob Fitch, Josh Smith, Jonathan Hryekewicz,
  alternate Zach Schutt
• 2009/2010 – Daniel Norwood, Caleb Smutzer, alternate Jacob Fitch

BAND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

5th Grade Beginning Band

5th grade students have the opportunity to begin exploring instrumental music. Each student is assessed on different instruments to find the one that is best for each student. The first week of band consist of studying music theory before students begin to play on the instruments. Using the Essential Elements for Band book series, students’ progress through the fundamentals on their instrument and learn the basics of music. The band performs at the school’s Christmas and spring concerts, and attends a festival during the spring semester.

6th Grade Band

6th grade band is a continuation of the beginning band class. The class continues in the Essential Elements for Band book series, but also begins competing in Texas Private School Music Educators Middle School All-Region Band Contest and Solo and Ensemble Contest. 6th grade band performs at the Christmas and spring concerts and attends a festival contest during the spring semester.

Middle School Band (7th and 8th grade)

The Middle School Band continues the development of the students’ fundamentals on their instruments while beginning to explore more advanced techniques. The curriculum centers on the Foundations for Superior Performance book, which helps develop technical skills as well as laying the foundations for applying music theory to each instrument. The concepts of ensemble playing and sight reading are studied further. Students compete in the TPSMEA Middle School All-Region and Solo and Ensemble Contests and the band performs at the Christmas and spring concerts, as well as at several festival competitions throughout the spring semester.

High School Band

The high school band serves multiple functions for the students and the school. While continuing a student’s musical education, the high school band also performs throughout the school year. During the fall semester, the marching band performs at football games and pep rallies and competes in the TPSMEA Marching Contest. Concert band, however, is not put aside and still performs during the fall chapels as well as the Christmas concert. High school students also have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the TPSMEA All-State Band. In the spring semester TAPPS and TPSMEA contests bring the band into the focus of the concert band. For contest, each student is assigned to at least one small ensemble; many students perform with several ensembles. We also have a jazz band as well as woodwind and brass choirs that compete. The concert band and jazz bands both put on spring concerts.

Audio

Listen to these audio clips of the Pantego Panther Band:

Track 1     Trombone King

Track 2     Salvation is Created

Track 3     Cajun Folk Songs