H.M. King Brahma Band is pictured here at the 3rd Annual South Texas Lakeshore Classic Marching Festival on Oct. 10, 2009. The group placed first in Drum Major, first place in Percussion/Drum line, second place in Color Guard, first place in Class 4A Band, and were named Grand Champion over all. (Photo courtesy of Gina Smith) The Mighty Brahma Marching Band will take its first step towards returning to the University Interscholastic Leagues state marching contest - later this year - when they perform at the Region IV marching contest in Alice this Saturday.

H.M. King will be one of dozens of bands who will perform their halftime show for three judges who will give them a rating from I-V.

Ensembles receiving a first division (I) advance to the area marching contest to be held in Calallen on October 24 where they will vie for a berth to the state marching contest which will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio on November 3.

Beginning practices in the summer, H.M. King has polished its show ‘Visions and Dreams’ through several practices and five halftime performances this season.

“Our show has improved by leaps and bounds,” Assistant Band Director Porfirio Mendez said. “We are getting more comfortable with the music and the drill and that combination helps the kids to act instead of react and it is all coming around like a puzzle being put together into one nice picture.”

The Brahma Band has warmed up for U.I.L. through preliminary contests in Mathis and Robstown.

At Mathis this past weekend, H.M. King walked away with the trophies for Overall Grand Champion, Best 4A Band, Best Drum Majors, Outstanding Drum Line and second place in Color Guard.

Mendez explained the difference between preliminary contests and those governed by U.I.L.

“Pre-competitions are based off of marching, music and captions so at the Mathis and Robstown contests you have respective point spreads for your guard, percussion and other respective captions and the bulk of the points come from your band and marching,” Mendez said. “When it comes to U.I.L. our goal becomes to receive a first division. So you are not in competition with anyone but yourself. It is you performing in front of the judges and you are looking to get a first division to advance to area contest.”

The number of bands who advance to state depends on how many compete at area.

“A mandatory two will advance to state no matter what and anything above fifteen they add one extra so if there are eight bands competing at area, only two will advance,” Mendez said. “If there are fifteen bands there, three will advance and if there are twenty, four will advance. For every extra five over ten, one more advances.”

Marching bands are only allowed to advance past region every other year; 4A and 2A schools are eligible this year but not next.

H.M. King last advanced to state marching contest in 2007 when they placed sixteenth while performing ‘Exodus’.

Head Band Director Rolando Molina - who has been at H.M. King for almost forty years - has seen the evolution of marching band shows during his tenure.

“Marching band drills are a lot more complicated now so kids are more challenged with today’s drills compared to 30 years ago,” Molina said.

“We used a lot of straight line formations in the early years and now there are multiple formations with a lot more things happening on the field during a show. Today’s young musician may not play up to the level of their predecessors 30 years ago but they march much more complicated drills while trying to bring up their level of musicianship.”

Assisting Molina and Mendez are Ray Mendez, Sandra Mae Mendez, Eli Lopez and Student Teacher Raul Reyes.

Conducting the band on the field are drum majors Robert Guindangen, Ariel Ramirez and Samantha Cantu.