Program Ensembles
The Band program at Veterans Memorial offers multiple performance groups for our students to participate in during the academic year. We are currently the largest program in CCISD and have a history of success on the performance stage. We offer a full comprehensive marching band, concert ensembles, small chamber ensembles, jazz band, mariachi, percussion/drumline, and color guard.
Marching Band
The Screaming Eagle Band is one of the most visible organizations on campus, boasting an annual membership of 150+ students! The band is comprised of all brass, woodwind, percussion, and color guard students. Students receive both Fine Arts and PE credit for their participation. Each student enrolled in band, percussion, and color guard is part of the Screaming Eagle Band. These students perform at all football games, pep rallies, and other selected events. The marching band will focus on the competitive aspect of the activity. Students are held to the highest standards of musicianship, attendance, attitude, athleticism, and eligibility. The Marching Band compete at UIL, Bands of America (BOA), and other marching festivals. In addition to performances, band members are expected to rehearse 7 to 8 hours per week outside of the school day between August and November.
Summer band camps take place for all students during the months of June and August. All Screaming Eagle Band members are expected to attend the pre-season camps during the summer. Absences from these important camps may jeopardize placement in the competitive marching show.
Certain instruments are provided for marching band use. These instruments include piccolos, mellophones, sousaphones, trombones, tenor saxophones, drumline and front ensemble.
Concert Ensembles
The Veterans Memorial High School band is proud to host three ability-based concert bands: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band , and Concert Band.
The Wind Ensemble is the Band Department's premiere concert organization and is comprised of the top wind musicians at Veterans Memorial High School. Membership is by individual audition at the end of each semester. The Wind Ensemble performs significant wind band literature, featuring original works, chamber, and orchestral and keyboard transcriptions. The Wind Ensemble will perform both a fall and winter concert, in addition to UIL evaluations, and spring concerts.
The Symphonic Band is the non-varsity concert ensemble within the band program, and is where students continue to develop their musicianship and skills needed to prepare them for the wind ensemble. The symphonic band performs at an advanced high school level with a wide variety of repertoire. Students in the symphonic band will performs at all winter concerts, UIL evaluations, and spring concerts.
The Concert Band is our sub-non varsity concert ensemble and serves as our intermediate and introductory ensemble for students to being learning literature at the high school level. Students will perform at our winter and spring concerts, as well as UIL evaluations.
All concert ensemble students are required to attend additional morning/evening rehearsals in addition to their regular class time instruction to further assist development and preparation or superior performance. Students are strongly encouraged to partake in private lessons to receive additional individualized instruction and enhance their performance capabilities. Students in the wind ensemble are required to prepare and audition for the TMEA region band, with symphonic and concert band students highly encouraged.
All members of the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band are also required to be in Marching Band during the Fall Semester.
Percussion Ensembles
During the Fall Semester, all students will be placed based on audition into either the drumline or front ensemble as part of the marching band. After marching season and throughout the spring semester, students are split among the three concert bands and perform with the ensembles at all concerts and UIL evaluations. Students will also participate in small chamber ensemble and solo repertoire throughout the school year, ending with a percussion studio concert in May.
In the spring semester, percussion will perform in our Veterans Memorial Indoor Percussion Ensemble, and compete in various contest in the Texas Educational Colorguard Association winter percussion circuit.
During class periods, students are given specific instructional time to improve their skills and pedagogy. Students are required to attend a one-hour sectional, one day per week before school. Students are encouraged to partake in private lessons to further inhance their performance ability and receive individualized instructions.
Students receive both PE and Fine Arts credit for participation in Percussion Ensemble.
Color Guard
Color Guard is known as "the sport of the arts" and is one of the fastest growing activities in schools across the nation. Its a high-energy sport and performance artform that combines intepretive dance (including ballet, jazz, and modern styles), gymnatics/acrobatics, theater, and manipulation of flags, mock rifles, sabres, props, and colorful uniforms. Color Guard performs with both marching bands (fall semester) and winterguard (spring semester).
Watch video "What IS Color Guard" for a terrific overview of the activity.
Each fall, the high school color guard performs with the Screaming Eagle Band in their halftime marching shows, competitions and other special events such as the annual Buc Days Parade. The Color Guard is an integral part of marching band performances, greatly enhancing the band's visual impact. In the spring semester, students participate in solo and small ensemble contests for color guard, as well as a dance recital.
During the spring, students perform in winterguard as part of the Texas Educational Colorguard Association. Students will also participate in solo and small ensemble contests, and a spring showcase.
Students in color guard receive both PE and/or Fine Arts Credit.