Day of Bands September 14 at Winston County High School

DOUBLE SPRINGS - The Winston County Day of Bands will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Malcolm Blake Stadium at Winston County High School.
All the marching bands in the Winston County School System will perform their halftime shows and receive feedback from a panel of judges. The band students and the public will have the chance to see every band's show at one time and place.
"Day of Bands is a chance for all of the bands in Winston County to see each other perform, support the programs and get feedback from area-renowned band directors and clinicians," said WCHS band director Nicholas Watts.
Since not all county schools play each other in football, the band students would not otherwise get to see all the other local bands' shows.
"Additionally, it gives band students the opportunity to perform their shows for an audience," Watts continued. "Students get to show off their hard work and get a chance to perfect their art before they get to a Saturday competition.
"Not only is this a great opportunity to showcase our music to the community, but it is great practice for our students. Our weekday evenings are dedicated to rehearsing as a unit, learning when to move and where to stop. Friday nights, during halftime, are our weekly 'tests' to see if what we have worked on has solidified on the field," he explained.
"That’s the closest we get (to the experience of competition) before competition season in October," Watts said. "Day of Bands will help students get their minds and bodies ready for the exact time of day they will perform (at competition). An atmosphere dedicated to marching arts requires a different mindset than after school rehearsals or Friday night football games."
"So many (band) programs can become overly-focused on where they go (for competition) because of what they think the outcome is going to be," he later noted. "As a director, I want to create an event and environment that is safe for any program to come and receive top-notch comments on their shows without the pressure of having to 'win it all.'"
While the bands will receive valuable feedback at Day of Bands, they will not be scored and will not be competing for titles such as Best in Class.
"A Day of Bands is just that: a day to celebrate each other and the hard work that every program puts in!" Watts enthused.
Day of Bands will also give bands their own time to shine. "On Friday nights, band students across the nation have a job: provide the stadium ambience and help rally their football teams to victory! Having something like Day of Bands brings all the attention to the marching band students and their craft."
Further, Day of Bands allows area band programs to step beyond school rivalries and find solidarity. " From a band standpoint, I think it shows that we are all in it together. Football teams have rivalries, and I believe those are so healthy for those programs, but bands should be lifting each other up, especially in our own district," Watts said. "This is just a step in that direction!"
"I think that it also brings awareness to music education and its importance," Watts continued. "Band programs are more than their halftime shows and stand tunes in the fall. In this season, our students are actively perfecting the same show, the same music, the same steps. Every. Single. Day. We already have a very supportive community, but this is an opportunity to show up specifically for our band students."
Asked if this will be an annual event, Watts said, "I hope it becomes a long-living tradition for Winston County Schools! The county directors and I are actively trying to build relationships with each other’s programs. We have plans to rotate from school to school, but I would also love for this to be a statewide event where we can host any band that needs another 'live practice' for their groups."
At Day of Bands, following the playing of the national anthem at 10:55 a.m., Lynn High School will perform at 11 a.m., Addison High School at 11:30 a.m., Meek High School at 12 p.m. and WCHS at 12:30 p.m. At 12:50 p.m, there will be a presentation of plaques.