A message from Erick Harris and Scott Atchley

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Hello Band Family.
It has come to our attention that many of you are confused or have questions about the recent decision to not perform our show during halftime at away games within Williamson County. We would like to clarify and dispel any rumors circulating about our decision. While we did announce and explain this decision at our last parent meeting, we realize that not everyone could attend.

We take complete responsibility for this decision. We did discuss this issue with several of the band directors from Williamson County and ultimately decided that this was the best option for our organization. Many of the other directors have decided to follow the same path. No person or organization has placed any pressure on us. We continue to enjoy a wonderful relationship with our administrators, couches and other directors within the county.

This decision was made for a number of reasons. First, marching band shows are long. The bands of Williamson County are very competitive driven and marching shows oftenapproach the 8 to 9 minute mark. We are given 20 minutes at halftime to try and squeeze in two of these performances. Once we factor in equipment movement, prop set up, electronic set up/test and transit on and off of the field, there is rarely enough time. Tradition and courtesy allows the visiting band to perform first. If there is an issue or that band goes long, the home band must omit a portion their show for their own home crowd or risk running into the 3rd quarter of the game. A second reason is that by not performing our show, we are free to explore new literature in the stands. This is an attempt to not only challenge our students with more variety of music but also to develop and cultivate a better relationship with our fans. Our competitive show features music that is exciting and challenging for our students but often it is new or unknown to our fans and community. By exploring more diverse literature, we can play music more recognizable and hopefully win over more of our audience.

We understand that new procedures can be uncomfortable at first. We also know that we are charged to provide the best possible experience for your children. We take that responsibility very seriously. As parents ourselves, we know what it is to be an advocate for our little ones. Please know that if you have questions, comments or worries, you can call or email us at any time. We are very open to discussion about anything related to our students. We simply ask that you please do follow the chain of command. Please start with us. Then if you aren’t pleased with the result, contact our administration. After that, we have a wonderful fine arts director, Melissa Dufrechou, that would be happy to speak with you.

Thank you for your time and for allowing us the privilege of teaching your children!

Erick Harris and Scott Atchley
Erickh@wcs.edu
Scott.atchley@wcs.edu

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