Marching season launches strong in Illinois
The marching season had a small preview last week, but this week, 9 competitive festivals take place across Illinois. It's the biggest weekend of the season.
Performing Arts
How we compute marching band grades
Our marching band pages have been revised a little based on evaluation research. Please give bands you know a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down."
Practice makes perfect?
A new meta-analysis of 88 separate studies shows that with music, practice makes a difference. With math, not so much.
Ohio State Marching Band director dismissed
The OSU marching band had a culture that may have denigrated some members, but the director who failed to stop it has been fired.
Shepard band in soccer promo
Marchers from Alan B Shepard HS in IL had a little fun this summer playing the marching band in a video spoof about soccer and Ferris Bueller.
Independence Day in Washington
A brief moment to reflect on the Independence Day holiday, as celebrated in our nation's capital and in classrooms across the country.
Kenwood jazz band to premiere chart w/o 1 guitarist
We mourn the shooting death of a jazz band guitarist in Chicago, killed just a few weeks before the world premiere of a new jazz chart.
Concert band festival plays at 3 sites at Hersey H.S.
Concert band festivals combine music performance excellence with friendly competition and feedback from expert adjudicators, like this one in Illinois.
In New Orleans, band could be a ticket to a great HS
A good band audition could give students a boost in applying to schools in New Orleans that they want to attend, especially at schools that like their band.
Student composers take center stage in Illinois
Composers from Illinois high schools presented their award-winning works Thursday at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria.