BHS makes music and memories at UIL state contest
At the end of the final round of the University Interscholastic Division 3A competition, Burnet finished seventh. When the competition started that morning, there were 20 bands.
Combining the efforts of the Bulldog Band and Highlandettes Drill Team, EDC marched 156 school musicians during the preliminary round early in the day and were picked by the judges to perform again Monday night for the finals. The finals consisted of the top seven bands.
“This was a first for us,” EDC Director Mike Lewis said. “This is as far as we’ve gone since I’ve been here, and I think our kids did really well.”
Lewis said the difficult part of their preparation was practicing for an indoor performance such as the one in the Alamodome. Very few schools in the state have access to indoor practice facilities, and there can be a huge difference in sound quality between the practice and actual performance.
“At this level of competition, we just told them to get out there and have fun with it. They were here, they made it to this point, and as far as everyone is concerned, they are one of the best 3A bands in the state,” Lewis said.
Burnet High School Principal Craig Spinn attended the performance in San Antonio to show his support.
“There are so many things to be proud of, but you have to have real talent to make it to this point,” Spinn said. “For them to polish their performance and compete at this level is quite an accomplishment.”
The group last attended state competition in 2002, and this is the third time they have advanced to the state contest under the direction of Lewis. The other band directors are Darcy Williams, Dusty Rhea and Roger Williams.
The Highlandettes drill team instructor is Caity Robertson who took the reigns of the dance team this year following in the footsteps of her mother, Deidre Robertson.
Burnet returned to Division 3A this year after spending the last four years as a 4A school. Spinn said the UIL reclassifications take place every two years, so Burnet will remain a 3A school next year.
“As to whether we ever go back to 4A will depend on our school’s growth or non-growth,” Spinn said. “The state marching contest for 3A, 4A and 5A schools is only held every other year, so EDC can compete next year but only up to the regional level. We are just so proud of them. They had a great performance and the overall show was one of the strongest there.”
The three bands finishing with the highest overall scores were Canton High School winning the third-place bronze medal, Rio Hondo High School winning the second-place silver medal and Argyle High School, which took first place and a gold medal.
Lewis said he is extremely upbeat about the possibility EDC will continue to do well in the next few years.
“Traditionally, schools experience a few peak years of success, but we’ve been successful 18 years in a row. The program is intrinsically educational, but they also possess musical gifts they can share and use to bring joy to others,” Lewis said. “To have so many kids on the field working together at one time as a large group shows how dedicated they are, and Burnet has always been a great environment for that. I hope they know their hard work has really paid off.”
byoung@thepicayune.com