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Editorial: Marching band is on the move...to practice elsewhere  |
Many are not aware of the prestige of the TAMUK Music Department brings to our university. With skilled graduates and award-winning ensembles, it’s a surprise the university has overlooked this department for so long.
Music majors often find themselves cramped in one of their four classrooms. The already difficult situation has gone from bad to worse.
While students voted to have a new Recreation Center built on campus, the location of this new building will take away the practice area for the school’s marching band.
The school administration should not have made such a hasty decision to construct the new recreation center before finding an alternative area for the marching band to practice.
The marching band is the largest, most visible organization on campus. It serves as a constant recruitment tool for our school. Marching band is a class and is part of the curriculum for the music department.
Thus, just like any other class, it needs a classroom setting. It just so happens that a marching band requires a football size, level area for practice.
While marching season is soon at hand, the search for an alternative area needs to be a priority for our university. There are many factors in trying to relocate the band.
First, their needs to be an area of adequate shape and size, second it needs to be a safe area for all participants and third it needs to be conducive toward a learning environment.
A paved parking lot may possibly have been the ideal space, but it can be done on a grass field. One alternative for the band is using the corner of Armstrong and Corral, otherwise known as the tailgating area.
This area could possibly work but arrangements would need to be made on Fridays when H.M. King plays at our stadium using our tailgating area as their parking lot. While the band practices until six o’ clock, the parking area for the football game would have to be on hold until the band is cleared from the area.
Also, if cars are to park on the grass it may damage the field and put the students in danger. The students ideally need a level area to minimize the risk of falling due to holes on the practice field.
The marching band needs a classroom. The administration needs to allow for its students to be able to learn in an adequate environment.
This organization is part of a strong tradition at TAMUK. Hopefully this situation can be resolved so that the beat may go on.