GISD BAND
Marches On
Resiliency, Growth, and Continued Success
O
ne of the many thriving Fine Arts programs at Gainesville ISD is the band program. Five years ago, the program went through a major overhaul, increasing the number of directors at Lee, GJH, and GHS in order to better serve the student needs. With the addition of band directors at every campus, the program has been able to successfully grow in numbers and earn an extensive amount of awards. The program begins instilling basic skills in students at Gainesville Intermediate, where 6th grade students have the option of picking band as one of their electives. Karli Spangler, Intermediate band director, consistently recruits students into the program, which is evident by the typical annual enrollment of 100 students. These students would typically have a concert band competition in which to participate in the spring. However, this
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• Gainesville SPOT SPOTlight light • Summer 2021
year they did not have this opportunity due to COVID restrictions. The band was still able to show off their talents at a live streamed Christmas concert and an adjudicated spring performance, at which they received excellent comments from adjudicator Bryan Ferrell. The intermediate band students were also able to compete virtually in the Pilot Point Solo and Ensemble Contest. They recorded their solos and submitted them to be judged.
Students were very successful and won many first division awards. Retention of these band students as they transition to junior high is key. With numerous options for electives, GJH Band Director Jeff Hodges works diligently to maintain high interest in band for the 7th and 8th grade students. Junior high is a pivotal time, as students increase their musical skills and prepare for high school marching band. Just like all other programs, the Junior High bands were also deeply affected by the restrictions due to the pandemic. The socially distanced practices required at the beginning of the year created a significant challenge to the directors as they tried to
