Bands from Haltom, Keller and Kennedale ready for state

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BY SHIRLEY JINKINS

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A dragon?s tail writhing on the football field and giant ice spires that never melt on an 85-degree night ? those are signs that it?s the climax of marching band season for Haltom and Kennedale high schools. {{more}}

Those bands and others from across the state will compete for top honors at the 2014 UIL State Marching Band Contest today and Tuesday.

Class 4A competition is today and Class 6A is Tuesday.

Besides Haltom High, North Texas bands competing in the 6A contest are Keller, Flower Mound, Flower Mound Marcus, Lewisville Hebron and Duncanville.

Bands in the 4A conference competition include Kennedale, Springtown, and Argyle high schools.

Successful band directors pair their student standouts with innovative, exciting programs at the state meet to try to snag the top honor in each conference. Football crowds get to see the dress rehearsals during halftime.

Haltom?s competition show is called Dragon Ritual, with Stravinsky works including Rite of Spring and Firebird, and selections from the movie Dragonheart.

?There?s a lot of movement on the field; we have a giant dragon. It?s a pretty powerful show,? Haltom band director Donnie Hull said.

He had no qualms about bringing the Haltom Band?s dragon show to Southlake Carroll?s Dragon Stadium on Friday night for halftime at the football game.

?It?s a great show, it?s a character and a concept that the kids have enjoyed performing, so it?s brought their performance to a higher level,? Hull said. ?It?s something they can relate to.?

Hull will be taking 230 ?incredibly excited? band members to San Antonio today and Tuesday for their seventh showing at the state meet.

?The kids at Haltom have always been a hardworking bunch,? he said. ?But this year, every single day they have gone up a level or two. There hasn?t been a day they haven?t improved.?

Keller is making its fifth consecutive trip to state, where it will perform a show called Reality is Relative.

Kennedale is also making its fifth consecutive trip to state, and band members are keeping their cool.

The 147-member Wildcat Band will present a show titled Arctic Majesty, featuring original music by John Meehan. The winter-themed fantasy includes eight 13-foot ice spire props that move about on the field like icebergs.

The four movements are the North Wind, Glaciers, Polaris (featuring the drum line) and the finale, Aurora Borealis.

?We go out and practice in the heat, but we?re thinking cool thoughts,? Kennedale band director Erol Oktay said. ?We set our goals extremely high and everyone does their part.?

Students help keep everyone motivated during a long marching season.

Drum major Deja Caldwell, a 17-year-old senior, has been in the Kennedale district?s band program since the sixth grade.

?It?s hard to get the band to the next goal and keep pushing for State,? said Caldwell, who has been to the top meet once before. ?Then there?s all the nerves and butterflies.?

Caldwell said it requires focus as well as hard work.

?We?ve been doing stuff we usually do three weeks later in the season, to get to the next level,? she said.

Kennedale was ranked first in the preliminaries and the finals among the 23 bands in area competition recently, a qualifier for reaching the state meet. Bands must win a first division ranking at regionals to make it to the area meet.

Competitions aside, most student musicians are drawn together by something else.

?I like the closeness of the band,? Caldwell said. ?We spend a lot of time together, and you always feel welcome in the band hall.?

Shirley Jinkins, 817-390-7657

Twitter: @shirljinkins

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