8 is Enough - TX Marching Band

The Texas Eight-Hour Rule. And yes — it’s a real thing. Texas limits marching band rehearsals outside of the school day to eight hours per week, weekends included.

When I arrived at L.D. Bell in 1998 — a very green (and not in the University of Houston kind of way) 22-year-old band director from Long Island — we were rehearsing a little over six hours a week outside of school. We looked up the rule and thought, Well, I guess the state wants us to do a bit more… like our neighbors.

It’s a cautionary reminder for institutions — and for those who use their position to alter “local control” — that there are always unintended consequences. In reality, local control is the only control. Students and families will ultimately vote with their feet when things get pushed too far by the adults in charge.

So, we added brass, woodwind, and percussion sectionals — with brass and woodwinds at separate times so the full staff could be present for each. This extra contact time made a big difference. It boosted student development, gave us space to build relationships outside the large ensemble, and — for me — provided more opportunities to learn how to teach… and how not to teach.

🔥 Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire

With eight hours, every rehearsal had to be painstakingly planned. We had no time to waste — and honestly, it’s unfair to the kids if you aren’t prepared at that level. We’ve all sat through slow-paced rehearsals and thought, If I’m bored, how must the kids feel right now?

We went fast — faster than the bottom 50% of students could go. That pace demanded engagement and effort, but it wasn’t speed for speed’s sake. It was efficiency. Directions were given before a reset, the metronome started, and we went. The more repetitions we could give, the faster they figured things out — provided the fundamentals were solid and our rehearsal protocols were followed.

One ritual I loved: after a break to "re-warm," we’d hum and sing together, then begin a Concert F, holding for four counts before playing anything else. For individual warm-ups, the rule was: Long, Low, and Slow.

Another non-negotiable — at least 98% of the time — was budgeting time for a complete run-through of everything we knew. It cemented the learning. We’d videotape those runs — back when you had to carry the camera and the tape back to the band hall — so students could watch, listen, and process — me with a laser pointer helping to highlight areas for improvement.

Recitation Over Duration

Our weekly schedule consisted of four before-school practices — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday — with no rehearsal on Wednesday. We did not practice on the first day of school or Labor Day. Our only Saturday practices — "make-ups" for the first day of school and Labor Day — were scheduled to maintain four outdoor ensemble rehearsals in that week. Why not just make the other rehearsals longer instead? Because I’ve always believed the number of times you meet is more valuable than extending the duration of a few rehearsals. In teaching and learning, recitation beats duration every time.

In Sum

Eight hours a week — that’s all Texas gives marching bands outside the school day. As with all our in-state neighbors, we learned to plan with precision, move fast, and make every repetition count. More frequent, intentional rehearsals built stronger players, stronger connections, and stronger performances.