Yoe High bands get all 1’s at contest
Cameron ISD and the C.H. Yoe High Band hosted the UIL Region VIII Concert & Sightreading Contest this past week.
This contest is comprised of 1A through 4A West Zone bands and a total of 30 bands participated in this two-day event.
This competition is judged on two levels. First is the concert portion, (where a band comes in with their practiced program, one March and two Concert pieces) and performs for it for three judges.
Then they leave the stage area to go to the Second portion, sightreading. This is done in the Yoe High band hall with three new judges, and the band has seven minutes to learn a piece of music they have never seen or played before.
The judges will give out scores ranging from 1-5. (Superior (Division I), Excellent (Division II), Average (Division III), Below Average (Division IV), Poor (Division V).
During this contest, bands are recorded, so they can submit for future contests. Bands can submit their CD to Outstanding Performance Series Contest (ATSSB) every year or to the State Honor Band (TMEA) contest every other year.
Both the C.H. Yoe High Varsity and Non-Varsity bands received Straight 1 ratings. This also means they earned a Sweepstakes Award. Sweepstakes is when you have received Superior or Division I ratings in both Marching and Concert and Sightreading Contests. In the fall the C.H. Yoe High Marching Band dominated both Region and Area contests and ultimately finished sixth overall in the State Marching Finals.
On Feb. 15 Yoe Band Director Craig George had the honor of receiving two trophies at the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio. The C.H. Yoe Band submitted their CD for this contest back in 2019 and trophies are always given the following year at the state’s largest music gathering. The STATE awards were for Runner-Up in the Concert piece submission and first place in the March submission. This gives the band their back-to-back State March submission wins (2018, 2019).
Texas Music Educators Association was celebrating its 100th year of gatherings. This three-day event is full of clinics, performances, and award giving to many deserving schools. Over 30,000 attendees come from all other the state to see what is new in music world from music, arrangers, instrument vendors and all in between.