Big Bad Band from Rabbitland marches to state

By Tim Emmons
temmons@casscountynow.com

Atlanta High School’s Big Bad Band from Rabbitland has reached the extraordinary plateau, which is the UIL State Marching Contest for the sixth consecutive time.
Since state is every other year, that’s 12 years of dominance from UIL contests to the big show.
The band is set to compete in the preliminaries  2:45 p.m. on Monday inside the Alamodome in San Antonio.
According to AHS Band Director Keith Sanders, the theme “Mad World” truly seems to fit how this year has gone for the program.
“This has been a tough year for us overall with the new music to learn, a new drill writer, new visual people and all of those behind the scenes people we have had helping us along at times,” Sanders said. 
“This show is visually more complex than what we are used to and although it took a little while to get going the kids have worked hard and responded well to it.”
A couple of weeks ago Atlanta advanced out of the regional round where three judges executed their decision upon several bands.
At the area contest the judging changes with five judges overseeing the contest; three to listen to the music and two judging the marching.
All of the bands advancing from area to state must receive all Division 1 ratings, and the Big Bad Band from Rabbitland was one of only five bands, out of 25, who punched their ticket to the big stage.
“It’s quite an honor to make it to the State Marching Contest,” Sanders admitted. “The area in which we compete spans from the Red River to the Gulf of Mexico which is a huge deal, and considering we are one of the only bands in our area to have made it the last six times is pretty special.”
Sanders takes a large band and plenty of experience with him as they prepare to do something band kids and their directors dream about every two years…winning a state championship.
“The highest we’ve placed while I’ve been the band director here is fifth,” Sanders remarked. “The State Contest is a goal every band sets at the beginning of the year and what every band strives to win, but just to experience the moment, no matter what place you end up in, is like no other feeling for a band member, director or assistant. State is a different level of emotions and adrenaline and since you only have two chances at it as a student in your high school career there is a whole other level of pride also.”
“We’re about experience not trophies,” Sanders said. 
“We like to prepare the kids for every facet of life and if everything falls just right you get the chance to experience state which many kids don’t get an opportunity to do. We like dedication; trophies are just a bonus.”
The Big Bad Band from Rabbitland is one of only 23 bands that will perform before another panel of five judges with hopes of bringing home a state title and a great number of memories.