Bands visit A&M to perform

By: Jilll Beathard

Posted: 3/5/09

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band will march in an off-season performance Saturday to conclude the 75th convention of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA).

The ABA is an association of the top 250 band directors in the nation. The members convene for the event in a different location each year.

"Some of them use this as a vacation. They have meetings for a couple hours each day, but mostly this is a chance for them to get together and talk about music," said Drum Major Elliot Stump, a junior communication major. "These are people who have devoted their lives to music, they can get together every year and say 'Remember when…?'"

The Texas A&M bands have invited five musical groups, including the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Texas Christian University Wind Symphony and the United States Navy Band, to perform in Rudder Auditorium each night. Stump said the concerts are for the directors, but the public is invited.

According to a University Bands press release, marching bands do not traditionally perform at ABA conventions. The performance by the Aggie Band will last twice as long as a normal halftime show.

"The directors are an amazing group of people," said Band Commanding Officer Pedro Vega, a senior international studies major. "This is the kind of band they were in, and we're the first marching band ever to perform at the convention, so it's a humbling experience. If anybody appreciates the stuff that we do, it's them."

Vega said Aggie Band Director Timothy Rhea is the youngest member to be inducted into the ABA.

The Association has asked Rhea to have the convention at A&M in the past, but it did not fit with the band's schedule.

"It's kind of cool that this is happening our year," Vega said.

Baritone Section Officer Mario Olivarez said this will be his first and last time to participate in the ABA convention.

"I'm pretty excited about it. The show that we are going to perform on Saturday is unlike any other performance I have ever done," said Olivarez, a senior history major.

The Aggie Band doesn't participate in the ABA convention every year and usually doesn't rehearse during the spring semester, except when preparing for Parents' Weekend.

"This semester, however, we have practiced one day a week since the beginning of the year and this week we have practiced every day," Olivarez said. "We wake up at around 5:30 a.m. and practice until roughly 7:10 p.m."

As baritone section officer, it has been Olivarez's responsibility to make sure members of the section know the music and the Aggie Band techniques, like the proper way to hold an instrument during a counter-march.

Olivarez said he would advise underclassmen in the Corps to make the most of their four years, and that the next leadership roles in the Corps will be challenging but should also be fun.

Performances
Admission for all events is free. No tickets are required for the performance at Kyle Field. Advanced tickets for the concerts in Rudder are available at the MSC Box Office at 979-845-1234. Admission will open to those with tickets 30 minutes before each concert and to those without tickets 10 minutes prior.

8 p.m. Thursday Rudder Auditorium
TCU Wind Symphony
University of Texas Wind Ensemble
8 p.m. Friday Rudder Auditorium
United States Navy Band
2 p.m. Saturday Kyle Field
Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
Seating on west side of stadium