bandsoflove

Correction on my previous post*** The current head band director is the last remaining director from Duncanville’s past staff. He looks like he is changing and moving Duncanville in the new direction!

I would like to bring some attention to Duncanville (as a former band alumni). Duncanville has always had their focus on UIL scoring/rubrics. After Tom Shine had retired in 2010, the two head band directors afterwards always had their main focus on UIL as BOA scoring/rubrics were challenging consistent traditions set in place for 30+ years with Tom Shine. It had worked for almost three decades, but marching band contests began to change and what was working; no longer had the same result produced as previous years. We were always taught tradition and clean marching w/o props would suffice many years (even with bands incorporating props), but that later changed due to the ongoing and ever changing environment within the marching band atmosphere. Tradition is great, but it no longer held priority. Duncanville Band had a wonderful past with many accolades spanning over 30+ years, but we soon realized that although the past was great. It’s not going to keep the longevity of the band alive itself. Shifting from being a traditional band to encompassing the modernization of bands like Hebron, Marcus, Flower Mound, Vandegrift, etc. took longer than it should have (even with opinions and suggestions from us band kids when we were in the band). We supported going to BOA and many competitions, but the problem wasn’t finances, partially (as these competitions weren’t out of anyone’s desire) it was switching our directors mindset from performing in competitions where first place was very easy to get to going to actual competitions with bands in the same caliber as us. Also, while focusing more on UIL and BOA together to produce and be “with the times”. Duncanville has a new head band director with a brand new staff (none of the staff from the past is with them any longer) and I think that’s why you’re seeing a change. There’s going to be more BOA competition participations, new changes to how Duncanville is known and how the show’s are developed and that’s what Duncanville needed. This won’t be an overnight success or change as many current band individuals and recent one’s know the main big hitters, but hopefully they will get there.