Band Wins 15th Sweepstakes Title

Editor

For the 15

Although this is a non-state marching year, the band is still required to receive a UIL evaluation.

"UIL evaluations happen every single year and every other year they add the fun and games in marching contest," Canton Director of Bands Rob Toups said.

"For most school districts in and around the state of Texas this is the music program’s equivalency to TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)," he said. "We are not included in the TAKS evaluation in the academics of the districts, so UIL has these events where that evaluation is very important."

Toups explained that schools want their band program to be first division and the only way they can make a first division Sweepstakes is if they make first division in sight reading and concert.

This means the panel of three judges must each rank the band with a one.

Toups further explained that the judges are high school and college directors who are members of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA) where Toups currently serves on the board as vice president.

"That group’s obligation is to produce judging panels who are, through an every four year cycle, re-schooled and re-workshopped as far as keeping our skills sharp as far as what we are looking for," Toups explained. "The only directors in the state must be from the state and make three consecutive sweepstakes in five years to qualify to become a member."

When asked if he thought CHS would be able to hold on to a 15-year title when he came to Canton in 1991 Toups said, "I’m just so proud of that."

"We had never ever had a first division rating, much less a Sweepstakes in three areas ever," Toups said. "So the first one was the greatest one and that was a great year. We hope to keep going."

"It’s not always easy. It’s always easier to build a program than to sustain a program," he continued. "Because the longer you sustain it, it’s like anything else; we never know what we don’t have until we don’t have it. We take it for granted."

In the UIL evaluation of Region 3 there were 20 schools and of the 3A schools Canton was among Wills Point, Mabank and Royse City to pick up a Sweepstakes this year.

"Work pays off," Toups said. "There is nothing God has given us better than music."