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Band Terms and Acronyms

Marching Terms

  • Dot: The starting position, so to speak, that a marcher is trying to earn meaning they will compete in the marching band show.

  • Dot Partner/Shadow: A marcher who shares a dot and is learning the marching show and details on how to be a great marcher from an experienced marcher/leader.

  • Drill: movement that creates the shapes and creations on the field.

  • In Block: in a block formation ready to move (i.e., before football games, this means lined up ready to move to the stadium).

  • Dot Book: book containing locations on the field marchers march to in order to create the formations for the marching show.

  • Marching Competition: During marching season, the band traditionally attends 2 to 3 marching competitions where they are judged as a whole and as individual sections on their marching, precision, musical ability, general effect, etc. Parents are encouraged to attend, even though they may be held in neighboring cities. These typically occur on Saturdays in October but can sometimes occur in late September or early November.

  • Marching Season: The part of the school year lasting through November, unless the Directors accept an invitation for the band to attend some other function after that time. You would be given ample notice of any extra activities. Marching season typically ends after the last football game.

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Instrumentalist Uniform Parts

  • Bibs: uniform overall pants

  • Gauntlet: the cuff placed at the bottom of the uniform shirt sleeves

  • Shako: Hat worn during marching band

  • Plume: Feather adornment worn on the shako with the marching band uniform

 

Marching Sections & Instruments

  • Auxiliary: also known as the guard/color guard

  • Battery: percussion section that carries/marches with bass, snare, and tenor drums

  • Brass: sousaphone, baritone, trombone, mellophone, trumpet

  • Color Guard: section who adds to the performance thru the use of flags, rifles, sabres, and other props

  • Drum Majors: students who conduct the Marching Band

  • Front Ensemble/Pit: those who play stationary percussion instruments (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, synthesizer) on the front sideline of the field

  • Marimba: percussion instrument, large version of a xylophone

  • Mellophone: a marching French horn

  • Percussion: any striking instrument, not only drums

  • Percussion Ensemble: entire percussion section (both PIT and the Battery)

  • Section: Each instrument group or unit of the band (i.e., flutes, trombones, Color Guard)

  • Sousaphone: also known as the tuba

  • ​Winds: any instrument that uses air to produce a sound; all Brass and Woodwind instruments are "winds."  Do not confuse this term with “woodwinds.”

  • Woodwind: bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet, flute

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Competition Season

  • Retreat: When the bands who have competed come onto the field in a ceremonial fashion.

  • Break Ranks: At the end of finals awards, students are told to “break ranks” to meet and congratulate students from other bands.

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Color/Winter Guard

  • Color Guard: They perform using their equipment (flag, rifle, props, etc.) and emotional connections (facial expressions, dance, etc.) to the audience to enhance the meaning and feeling of the show. The uniform is different, but they are an integral section of the marching band.

  • TCGC (Texas Color Guard Circuit): Texas’ premier winter/spring performance venue for winter guard, indoor percussion, and marching wind ensembles throughout Texas. With more than 100 member and guest units competing each weekend between the months of January and April, TCGC will have an impact on more than 2,000 performers and 8,000 spectators.

  • WGI (Winter Guard International): The world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and winds competitions. As a nonprofit youth organization, WGI also serves as the governing body for the indoor color guard, percussion, and winds activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format.

  • Winter Guard: Noncurricular activity that is funded through student fees. Members are selected by audition and compete in both TCGC and WGI competitions. Winter Guard creates stunning visual effects through movement and equipment choreography.

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Boosters

  • Band Boosters: ALL parents/guardians of students in the Band Program grades 9-12.

  • Committee: Group of parent volunteers assigned to a certain task by the booster board or director.

  • Executive Board: Elected officers of the KPBB.

  • Fundraiser: Term that needs no definition because no money comes to our program from the school system--we are mostly self-funded. Because of this, students are involved in several fundraisers each year. It is not enough that students earn money; we must also involve parents in all aspects of fundraising.

  • Kingwood Park Band Booster (KPBB): A group of volunteers who oversee the KPark Band Boosters. These positions are elected at a board meeting in the spring for the following year. They meet monthly to discuss booster activities.

  • KPBB Meeting: Gatherings that typically occur monthly in the band room. The Board and executive committee chairs present reports and updates on events. You can find out how to volunteer or be an active part of the band at these meetings. You can also find out about current and future events.

  • Prop Crew: Volunteers who help move equipment and props on and off the field for half-time performances and competitions and who help build and maintain these props.

  • Volunteer: No experience necessary--just bring a great attitude! Don’t be intimidated or shy – WE NEED YOU!  You can volunteer anytime. Committee sign ups typically occur at the first booster meeting of the year.

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General

  • Band Box: A white locked box located on the wall next to the window of the director's office. This is where you place forms and money. Fundraising is also turned into this box unless instructions are given otherwise.

  • Band Camp: A concentrated time where students learn the stand music and marching routine for competition and football halftime shows. It is held each year during the summer for about two weeks. Band Camp is conducted by the Band Directors, their assistants, special instructors for each instrument, and an alumni student staff selected by the Directors.

  • Band (rehearsal) Field: The parking lot the band practices every day for their half-time show.

  • Band Captain: Highest ranking wind and percussion leadership member. Section Leaders and band members in the wind and percussion section must follow their commands. This position is selected by the band directors.

  • Charms: A web-based software program we use to communicate with band members.  It is important to keep your information up to date and to be aware of the dates on the calendar. Students can access music, drill charts, and forms on Charms. Parents can access forms, booster meeting minutes, and other band-related info on the website.  charmsoffice.com (see home page of this site for log in information)

  • Concert Band: The 3rd large ensemble at HHS that meets during class on “A” days.  This group is determined by audition.

  • Directors: They have total control and supervision of the band program. Note that certain sections also require specialists, such as Percussion and Color Guard. These specialists work with the Directors and are under their supervision.

  • Drum Major: Highest ranking band leadership member who is in charge of all students on the marching band field. All Section Leaders and all band members must follow their commands. Drum majors conduct the half-time show. Drum Majors are chosen through an audition in late Spring. You must have at least one year experience in the KPark marching band to audition.

  • Section Leader: Appointed by the band directors to be in charge of their section of the band.

  • Sectional: A rehearsal called by the Section Leader of each section. All students in a section are expected to attend all Sectionals.

  • Symphonic Band: Ensemble composed of students with above-average musical and technical skills. They typically rehearse on “A” Days and Mondays from 4:00-5:30 pm after marching season. Selected by audition.

  • Wind Ensemble: Ensemble composed of the most musically and technically advanced students. They typically rehearse on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4-5:30 after marching season. Students are selected by audition.

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Music Organizations

  • DCI: Drum Corp International; many of our alumni and directors participate and compete in these highly skilled groups every summer.

  • TCGC: Texas Color Guard Circuit; this is the competition circuit KPIPE and Winter Guard compete in. 

  • TMEA: Texas Music Educators Association; TMEA is responsible for auditions into and concerts of Texas's All-Region and All-State bands, orchestras, and choirs. It aligns schools into the 33 regions that are used by UIL for their competitions.

    • Auditions are held at the region level during the fall of each year to determine All-City, All-District, and All-Region groups. Most regions host a public concert of their All-Region bands, orchestras, and choirs to provide a performance clinic for the selected musicians and to showcase the students' musicianship.

    • Top-ranked musicians from each region advance to their respective All-Area auditions. The All-Area groups serve to reduce the number of participants considered for All-State and therefore do not have a performance component as do the All-Region groups.

    • A final audition is held among the top All-Area musicians to decide membership in the All-State groups. Student musicians selected for an All-State group are invited to attend the annual TMEA convention and participate in a performance clinic and concert.

    • KPARK IS IN REGION 33, 5A HIGH SCHOOL.

  • UIL: University Interscholastic League; organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, musical, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in Texas. It is the largest organization of its type in the world. 

    • In musical competitions, schools are aligned into 33 regions (these regions are set by the TMEA). Schools of all sizes are grouped into a region. Advancement within a musical competition is not based on direct competition against other schools. Instead, musicians are compared against an established rubric, and all schools or individuals who are judged "Division 1" (the highest level) advance to the next level, except for state competition.

    • For marching band, schools compete against other schools in the same UIL conference. The 33 regions are grouped into nine areas (named A-I) for Conferences 5A and 6A.

    • KPARK IS IN REGION 33, 5A HIGH SCHOOL, AREA I.

  • WGI: Winter Guard International; WGI Sport of the Arts is a non-profit youth organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and winds competitions. It is called the "Sport of the Arts" because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format.​

 

Marching Classifications

  • UIL: KPark band competes in Conference 5A, Region 33, Area I when at UIL events. Conferences are determined by school enrollment.
    (FYI - we are in Division 1, Region 2, District 8 for football.)

    • Conference 1A: 104 students and fewer

    • Conference 2A: 105-229

    • Conference 3A: 230-514

    • Conference 4A: 515-1229

    • Conference 5A: 1230-2219

    • Conference 6A: 2220 and greater

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High School Ensembles

  • CB: Concert Band

  • CG: Color Guard

  • JB: Jazz Band

  • KPIPE: Kingwood Park Indoor Percussion Ensemble

  • SB: Symphonic Band

  • WE: Wind Ensemble

  • WG: Winter Guard

 

Humble ISD Buildings

  • BBE: Bear Branch Elementary

  • EGE: Elm Grove Elementary

  • FE: Foster Elementary

  • KMS: Kingwood Middle School

  • KPHS: Kingwood Park High School

  • WHE: Woodland Hills Elementary

WGI
TCGC
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