McNeil High School Band

Can I participate in McNeil sports teams and band?

Absolutely.  We have students that have participated in every different sport and remained in band at the same time.  Students who are active in fall sports (football, swimming, volleyball or cross country) would not be able to participate in marching band but could still be in a band class in the fall.  

Which classes do I sign up for?

When you turn in your choice sheets you will sign up for three classes: 7211,7212 and 7203. 7211 is Concert/Marching Fall which meets at 4th period in the fall. This class will count as 1/2 of a P.E. credit. 7212 is Concert Band/Spring which meets at 4th period during the spring semester. This class counts as 1/2 a fine arts or an elective credit. 7203 is the Instrumental Ensemble class for concert band. This class meets at eighth period all year and counts as a full fine arts credit.

Do I have to be in a band class everyday?

Yes. The only people who are exempt from that are those that have communicated to the directors about not having enough room in their schedule for both classes.

Are all the freshmen in one class?

No. We will have auditions beginning at the end of April/beginning of May that will determine which of our four bands you will be in at the start of school. At the conclusion of auditions we will give our counselors a list of who should be in which band. Since incoming freshmen have to turn in choice sheets by early March and most of them will be in Concert Band, we ask them to all schedule that class. This prevents our counselors from having to make so many changes after auditions are held in May. We actually have two bands that meet at that period but rehearse in different rooms.

What will we have to play for auditions?

The audition will consist of two brief etudes, 12 major scales (full range) and the chromatic scale. The audition music and information will be posted on this website by April. One of the three directors at McNeil will listen to you play a live audition at your school. If you are coming from a school other than Deerpark MS or Cedar Valley MS, please contact a director to set up an audition time.

Do I have to be in marching band?

Yes. All members of the McNeil band are in the marching band except for those members who are scheduled in a McNeil athletic class that competes in the fall or practices at the same time as the marching band. For a lot of members in the band, marching band season is the most exciting part of the year. It is the only group that utilizes every member of the band and it is also an opportunity for you to get to know everyone in the band and not just the members of your ensemble.

When does summer band start and is it required?

This year (10) we will start with freshmen on Wednesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29.  All members will rehearse weekdays from Monday, August 2 to Friday August 13.  The weekday rehearsal will be from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. On August 17 and 19 we will have two evening rehearsals from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.   Summer band is mandatory for all members of the marching band. We will also have a couple of brief rehearsals this May to help introduce our freshmen to the marching band skills. Check our “Charms” calendar for those dates.

How much time does marching band require and will it effect my grades?

Our normal rehearsal schedule is 6.5 hours per week. That is 1.5 hours less than UIL permits us to rehearse. We rehearse the marching band from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Mondays and from 7:00 am until 8:30 am from Tuesday to Thursday. On game days we do a run-through of our show from 8:00 am until 8:30 am with our dance team, the Majestics. We participate in four marching band competitions that are usually held on Saturdays in October. As soon as our competition season is over we rehearse one morning a week until football season is over in early November(unless we make the playoffs). Most of the students in the band manage their classes and grades very well during marching season. It helps if you are taking a manageable class load, not trying to do multiple activities(like marching band and a part-time job) and using your time wisely.