About the Band
Keller Central High School is a Texas UIL Class 6A high school in the Keller Independent School District located north of Fort Worth, Texas. Learning opportunities for KCHS Band students include marching band, 3 concert bands, a nationally-competitive winter guard, percussion ensemble, indoor drumline, jazz bands, various chamber ensembles, and AP music theory. In twenty years, the band program has seen much success including an appearance at the UIL State Marching Contest and 15 UIL consecutive Sweepstakes Awards. The Keller Central Wind Ensemble was a TMEA Honor Band State qualifier in 2016, 2018, and 2022. The Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble were also invited to perform at the 2019 Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis. The Keller Central Winter Guard has a tradition of excellence at both the local and national levels. In 2017 the winter guard traveled to Dayton Ohio and became a WGI finalist the first year attending. Keller Central’s marching band has been a long time Bands of America participant. They have competed at BOA regionals in North Texas, Houston, and St. Louis. They also made their first Grand Nationals appearance and advanced to the semi-final round in the fall of 2016.
The Concert Ensembles
While the concert ensembles do the majority of their competing in the Spring semester, they still rehearse and perform concerts regularly throughout the year. Each student is placed via audition in a specific band class based on which ensemble best suits their ability level. Keller Central has four competing and one non-competing band. The hierarchy of the bands is as follows: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Concert Ensemble and Instrumental Ensemble. Wind Ensemble represents the highest level of musical excellence at Keller Central while Instrumental Ensemble is a non-competing band where young students can continue to hone their skills for the future.
Marching Band
The Keller Central Marching Band encompasses all band students during the fall semester of the school year and PE credit is awarded for their participation. The band performs in multiple capacities throughout the semester. The band performs a “Spirit Show” at halftime during football games and supports the team through performances in the stands, at pep rallies, and in parades. The band also prepares and performs a “Competition Show” at a State and National level in University Interscholastic League (UIL) and Bands of America (BOA) competitions. To prepare for these performances the Marching Band rehearses 8 hours per week outside of the school day until the last competition or football game. There are also mandatory pre-season training camps during the summer that prepare the band to perform at early-season events.
Jazz Band
Jazz band is a smaller ensemble that students may join in addition to their participation in a regular concert ensemble. Students in jazz band will learn a variety of musical styles in the traditional jazz “Big Band” setting and will perform a few times a year. Traditional instrumentation for the jazz band includes trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass, and drum set.
Percussion Ensemble
In the most general sense, Percussion Ensemble refers to all members of the percussion section as a whole. In addition to being a member of the Marching Band (drumline) and one of the concert ensembles, each percussionist will also participate in a variety of “percussion only” activities throughout each school year ranging from marching percussion competitions in the Fall and Spring, to on-stage concerts using traditional or novelty percussion instruments.
Colorguard
The colorguard is a visual performing ensemble that is considered part of the “band family.” The colorguard performs a combination of dance and drill that incorporates use of flags, rifles, and sabres as well as other props. During the fall, the colorguard provides important visual support for the Marching Band. In November, the colorguard begins preparing for competition in the Winter Guard International (WGI) circuit. The winter guard season is an important opportunity for colorguard students to perform as a stand-alone ensemble in a highly competitive activity, both at the local and national levels.
