Snyder High School’s Pride of the West marching band is set to begin rehearsals on Monday. Although the University Interscholastic League (UIL) will not be permit school bands to work on marching routines until early September, students may begin learning their music.
New Snyder ISD band director Dustin Shreve said that he is working to procure bell covers for each instrument and percussionists will be required to wear masks while playing. Until the covers arrive, all rehearsals involving wind instruments, which includes flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, horns, trombones and tubas, will be held outdoors.
Starting Monday, the color guard will practice on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., percussion will rehearse on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., winds will rehearse on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the full band will rehearse together on Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This schedule will continue through the month of August, with the exception of the week of August 17-21. Because New Teacher Orientation is scheduled for that week, there will only be two days of rehearsal — color guard on from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on August 17 and full band from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 18.
Shreve said that the schedule is designed to take into account the weather, student-athletes and students with jobs. He asked that band members with conflicts contact him as soon as possible at dshreve@snyderisd.net.