Fort Worth ISD middle school wind ensemble prepares for national band competition
FORT WORTH – Wherever Director of Bands Christa Martien Chanthavongsy's hands go, her students follow.
The dozens of McLean Middle School students have followed her conducting all the way to the 2025 Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis next March, marking the first time a band from Fort Worth ISD is attending the national competition.
The middle school musicians prepare song after song during class each week, as such a major competition requires a significant amount of practice.
"For tuba, it is difficult," said one band member. "Since it requires a lot of air and steady air, too. It's really difficult."
Luckily, the students have plenty of support from their teachers. In addition to Chanthavongsy, two other staff members - Jacob Gandy and Collin Caldwell - assist individual players during class rehearsals.
"I'm listening for putting out fires, essentially," said Gandy. "So, if I hear something that sounds really sour, my job is to go in and fix that fire or give some instruction that I can do to help [Chantavongsy] with her rehearsal."
Some of these middle school musicians even play two instruments -sometimes those that are larger than they are.
Only 10 bands from around the nation were selected for the competition. The McLean students earned their spot after submitting recordings from last school year.
Now, the countdown is on as they furiously rehearse about 30 minutes of music to prepare, including challenging pieces like "Persian Dance."
Once the bell signals the end of class, these musicians quickly transition back into students.But once the bell rings signaling the end of class, these musicians transform back into students, with an important algebra test next class.