Is the Band and Indianettes Shrinking?

[1989NDN]

When i was in high school during the eighties, the band had 200-250 kids and the Indianettes had 80-100 girls. Now, the band looks like 150 and the Indianettes are approx. 30. Pretty soon, the Marching I will drop from a capital I to a lowercase i. What is going on? Why is participation dropping?

 

[IndianFan]

The school is smaller. In the 80s there were 500+ students per class. Now it's more like 350 per class.


Here's the 1989 band. (Courtesy James Solis)
https://youtu.be/3iaqjiEkC7E?t=290

Here's the 2017 Band
https://youtu.be/s6wsympRy2Q?t=543

 

[bandkid]

About two years ago, the band was hovering around 250 students and pushing the all time record for band size. It may have shrunk a little since then, but it's not as small as the 150-180 it was when I was in school.

Something to keep in mind: not all of the students march the competition drill anymore. The band has gotten large enough that it's been subdivided. A portion of the band only participates in the Friday night performances and the concert and sightreading competitions in the Spring, where the rest also participate in the marching competition.

 

[1989NDN]

Thanks IndianFan and PN-G BamaTex. What about the Indianettes? Any information as to why the numbers have dwindled? Also, PN-G had a Flag Corps. I remember from the nineties when the Flag Corps would stand at the corners of the Marching I and the flags added some emphasis to the Marching I. Seems the boys/girls in the Flag Corps. disappeared. Did that die off? I guess kids have other options.

 

[bandkid]

The flag corps. was created when the Indianettes stopped performing with the band at the marching competition, along about 2000 or so. It was rolled in with the Indianettes when they were brought back into the marching competition my sophomore year, 2008. I know the Indianettes have cut down to size. I understand that's because we have a new drill instructor who's raised the bar in tryouts, but that's through the grapevine and could be inaccurate.

I'll say this, though: the Indianettes and twirlers look a lot better these days.

 

[IndianFan]

The band competition from ‘89 and ‘17 featured about the same number of Indianettes , and the ‘17 band was a bit larger. But like mentioned, the Friday night marching bands may be a different size.

 

[bandkid]

For what it's worth, Wells has got the program running like a well-oiled machine these days. Back when I was in school, I think people didn't really understand the number of fundamental problems in the PN-GISD fine arts program, spanning from top to bottom. Groves Middle School went through three band directors in three years from 2004 to 2007, and the band program over there was a fraction of the size of the Port Neches Middle School band program simply because of the constant change of leadership. That was reflected in the high school band numbers over the following four years.

The high school had similar problems at the time. There had been a total leadership change (as in both the director and assistant director left) about 2004, after which Wells was brought in as assistant band director. My freshman year, 2007, the band director over Wells unexpectedly left to sell insurance. The running explanation was that he wanted more time with his family, but the rumor was that he was mad at the PN-GISD administration over several issues I can no longer recall. If I recall correctly, he was back as a band director at another high school (Hardin-Jefferson, maybe?) a year later, so I'll leave y'all to decide which explanation is true. It was 2009 when the state had such a massive funding shortfall, and all of the district's extracurricular budgets were slashed, leaving the band without a percussion director. And I don't think I need to list all of the effects of Rita and Ike. All in all, it's a safe bet that the mid to late 2000s were the lowest point in PN-G band history.

The band is on much more solid foundation these days. There's consistency in the director positions, including the middle schools. Last I heard, the GMS band program is consistently larger than its sister program in Port Neches. The band is posting membership numbers on par with the 1970s and 1980s despite PN-G's student body being probably 30%-50% smaller than it was back then. We're consistently taking straight ones in both marching and concert competitions, and we're competing with Houston area bands despite having a fraction of the resources (some of these schools literally have Baby Grand pianos on the sidelines). We're putting people on the all-state band with 1990s-like consistency. When Harvey came through, the band was posting volunteers to go and clean out the homes of other band members that flooded in the storm. Considering where we were a decade ago, this is a minor miracle.

Meanwhile, I don't know what's going on in Nederland, but I've watched them march at Mid-County Madness two years running and they don't look like they did when I was in high school. Their old director retired, and it seems the program is suffering without him.

 

[MOM2INDIANS]

About two years ago, the band was hovering around 250 students and pushing the all time record for band size. It may have shrunk a little since then, but it's not as small as the 150-180 it was when I was in school.

Something to keep in mind: not all of the students march the competition drill anymore. The band has gotten large enough that it's been subdivided. A portion of the band only participates in the Friday night performances and the concert and sightreading competitions in the Spring, where the rest also participate in the marching competition.

We have large middle school classes, but it seems some drop off when entering high school. They may be involved in other activities. In Middle school you can juggle Band and Football. Not so much at the high school level. Also, Friday Night band has worked out well. Some students need a little more time during the week for studies or have jobs and can't commit the time. They can still get the band experience. I'm so glad Mr. Wells started that.