It’s a commonly held belief that making a little bit of progress every single day adds up to some pretty substantial transformations over time. You won’t see immediate progress after one day in the gym. You won’t see your savings account grow until you start making consistent deposits. You won’t be offered a part in a blockbuster film until you’ve had a couple of minor roles.
What is it that they say? “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
All of that may be true, but if you were to ask anyone that attended this year’s UIL Region 8 Marching Contest, they’d believe that Dr. Nora Mosby, CISD’s head band director, has already laid the groundwork for the Colosseum.
For the first time since 2020, the Connally High School Marching Band received a rating of EXCELLENT at UIL competition. The contest was held on October 14, 2023 at Midway ISD’s stadium.
“I feel like the students put their hearts into their UIL performance,” Dr. Mosby said. “They really shined.”
This year’s results represent a turning point for the ensemble, which has struggled at marching competitions in recent years.
“Our students realize that with hard work, they can really accomplish anything that they put their minds to,” Dr. Mosby said. “They have made such substantial improvements - not just in music, but in their ability to build relationships, to lead, and to really represent themselves with the pride that they deserve to have.”
The students and directors have worked tirelessly since the beginning of August to improve their skills and techniques. Throughout that process, they had to work to create a culture built on the expectation of success. In order to accomplish that, the students had to put their trust in a new set of leaders.
“The students have really responded well to the systems that we have put in place,” assistant band director Raymundo De La Cruz said. “They can see that they are moving in the right direction and they are excited about that.”
One of the initial challenges that the band had to overcome was in the change in teaching styles. With so many new people standing on the director’s podium, it took a while for the students to understand what was being asked of them.
“The first thing that you notice about Dr. Mosby is that she so clearly, fully loves band,” sophomore percussionist Bryan Young Jr said. “That passion is infectious - the level of dedication that each of the students has for this program has gone up by 10 times. We are only getting better from here.”
One element of the performance that the group is particularly proud of is the work done by the CHS Color Guard. Due to staffing issues, that section was almost cut entirely. Luckily for the program, there was a proud alumnus who was ready to step in and help.
“I felt a sense of obligation to come back and help out the program,” color guard director Kevin Mendoza said. “I was a little intimidated at first, but Dr. Mosby fully accepted me personally and professionally. The guard has grown so much since we started and has really set themselves up for future successes. They have made improvements in terms of their technique, their leadership abilities, and their willingness to try new things.”
Throughout the season, judges at both invitational competitions and the official UIL contest gave substantial praise to the band for its improvement. They challenged the ensemble to tighten up elements of musicality and marching fundamentals, but left them feeling like they were on the right track.
“It’s honestly amazing to see how much progress we have made,” sophomore clarinet player Aaliyah Medlock said. “I feel like everyone has improved as players and that progress made the band as a whole much stronger. You can tell that there’s been a positive change - we left that field happy and proud of the show that we put on.”
The improvements that the band has made in a short period of time are noticeable to anyone who hears or sees them. School administrators take that as an affirmation that the group is working hard to meet a new standard.
“The band’s performance this past weekend really demonstrates that there’s been a lot of hard work and dedication put in by both our staff and students,” CHS Principal Hermann Pereira. “It’s clear that they are establishing the foundation of what will be a premier band program very soon.”
Moving forward, Dr. Mosby hopes to use Saturday’s performance as momentum for the Concert-Sight Reading contest in the Spring.
“The UIL Marching competition represents just 8 minutes of a full season of work,” Dr. Mosby said. “We are extremely proud of what our students have accomplished. They are excited to challenge themselves with harder music as we keep going throughout the year. They are ready to see what new heights they can reach.”