1979-1980 Round Rock Dragon Band (RRHS), Round Rock, Texas

[@ameliayoung8686]

I played a clarinet in the band this year. It was my freshman year. I remember we were standing in the end zone waiting to hear the results. Everyone was hugging after we heard that we won. That was my best year in high school. The next year I was at Westwood. Wonderful to see this video. I can’t believe that this was 42 years ago. Feels like yesterday. I can still play Greensleeves on the clarinet.

[@cynthiagraves342]

Glad you found the video. This was a great band and a great memory. Happy Thanksgiving 2022 to you!! ❤

[@erinfingers]

As a current member of the dragon band, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come

[@rogerandsally]

WOW that drum major in the white shorts .......................................

[@MrRusalsmith]

I remember that year. I was a freshman trumpet player, and all I heard all that year was how we needed to uphold the tradition of the band, and how disappointed I was when we lost to Crockett HS in the prelims (they eventually won the state marching contest that year)

[@cynthiagraves342]

That was the following year. Fall of 1980 School year 1980-81

[@backslash65]

Cindy, This is Roland Cruz. I played trumpet (with Mr. Wonderful Kenny Lopez and company) in the band during this state championship performance at the UT stadium. I remember the rigorous practices we had at the high school. It definitely paid off. We need to thank Mr. Jones (Band Director), Mr. Dalrymple (show designer and composer) and the rest of the band staff for their tireless dedication to the success of this freakin, awesome band. Thank you for sharing and posting this on youtube. You ROCK!!!!!

[@cgravesdds]

First two minutes are a KVUE broadcast on the state marching contest. Black and White video starts at 1:49. That's me (Cynthia Graves) as drum major. Songs are: Grieg Medley, Greensleeves and Let It Be Me. This is the prelim contest. Video was from Mrs. Grigsby (RIP). My understanding is that a band director at RRHS threw out all of the videos from the 1980s and prior. So this may be the only copy of our show. ENJOY!

[@oliversmum1]

that was great, Cindy! thanks SO MUCH for locating this!....it's funny how much you start to remember when you listen to it......good fun...... and heck I'd be hissing too- that crooked line wasn't so great..:(((- but you can tell our sound was GREAT! thanks so much for posting it!

[@sandysandlin581]

I didn't realize we were on KZbin. Thanks Cindy for posting. What a year that was. Good good memories. Loved reading all the posts too. I am Sandy Sandlin. I was in the French horn line.

[@cgravesdds]

Just a reminder--we had a different major contest show that same year. We went to Dallas for the "Parade of Champions" contest at the Cotton Bowl. We took the Dragonettes with us for that show. So we learned two big contest shows, plus our weekly halftime shows Valerie May is feature twirler. She went on to twirl at Baylor

[@Vashnyra]

Wow! I was in the Baritone Horn section with Terry Akin and Mike Hilsabeck (I'm Eric "The California Kid" Welch, by the way) and my brother Jason was on French Horn. The music, the uniforms, the hairstyles, the aching feet... I remember it all! What an incredible time that was!

[@JP-mu3xl]

Me 2 :), did you make the Corpus christi trip as well?

[@Vashnyra]

@@JP-mu3xl Unfortunately, no. That was right in the middle of my parents splitting up. A pretty chaotic time, but good memories of band and high school friends!

[@sarahcarter122]

Super cool to see! Something I found fascinating as a front ensemble member is that you can hear the bells during the ballad but of course there’s no frontline, they were marching bells! Something I tried to convince my director to let me do my freshman year! Of course that didn’t fly but this is a really cool video in marching band history of one of my favorite bands of texas

[@betsuni18]

Wow, thanks Cindy! Thought this was lost forever. Think I was on timbales. Hi, everyone--hope you're having wonderful lives!

[@cgravesdds]

Hissing sound at 6:49 is the band director reacting to the crooked line in the rotating mushroom in Greensleeves.

[@liamthemarchingbandguy4063]

Round Rock has always had nice uniforms

[@cynthiagraves342]

Thanks. I love the contemporary black fitted uniforms with the stylized Dragon and the sash.

[@cynthiagraves342]

Also-we marched high knee with white shoes-harder to hide any discrepancy in stride and precision. And those hats. Same thing

[@MrAngryOrb]

Eric, we made history, because of the 6 Euphonium players on the field, four of us went on to make All-state. I believe that is the highest % of marching band personnel in one section to make all-state ever. I played next to you in 2nd band after marching season ended. I would love to hear from anybody in the band who actually saw Clark C. - very short freshman trombone player- launch himself into the air- during the celebration of just making it to the finals in Dallas.

[@MrAngryOrb]

Hello Eric: Do you remember the Wyatt's Cafeteria episode in Dallas? The reason I think I remembered it so well was that Mr. Crane told me later how much the adults had to work to keep frowns on their faces. Then the pandemonium happened in the parking lot after we found out we made the finals- Parade of Champions Marching Festival. Also, Eric, you never knew probably, but we are a part of history.

[@cgravesdds]

90 jazzer---yes Mr. D was an assistant director at RRHS.

[@gheilers]

re: (fresheuph79) "something else in regards to the quality of the band. Imo, our best performances happened the next year, when we didn't win state. That was the year Mr. Jones seemed to be in a bad mood most of the time because he had to spend so much of his time planning for the new high school, Westwood.(He called it westworld) That year we entered the field from the corner of the end zone to Carmina Burana, and I really wish I could see a tape of that performance." I think the Carmina Burana opener, and overall drill, was the most intricate thing we ever did on the field. And we all apparently loved the music - as we also played it for UIL during concert season that year! (I even have over a dozen different recordings on CD - the one on the Naxos label, with Marin Alsop conducting The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, is the best in my opinion - for those interested.) As I recall, we did not qualify for "state" the following year, because we were not considered to be the best two bands at out District UIL contest. But, looking back - our hearts were really not into it, that year. Remember: we had to ditch our originally proposed show, because we did not receive the music in time. We were to have closed the show with the Carmen Suite (Bob Dalrymple was able to use it the following year, at Westwood.) We had to dust off the older shows, and resurrect "I Got Rhythm" (geez...I do not think *anyone* enjoyed that piece of music, even when it was "new" for us). We re-used "Let It Be Me" - but the warmth and magic could not be repeated, sadly. By the way, Mr. Bob Dalrymple is still around, and active in music: www.bandofthehills.org/

[@MrAngryOrb]

One more thing Eric: Do you remember how many of each instrument were performing in the brass choir of "Let it Be Me?" It was Terry and Mike for Euph, I'm guessing two trombones, two french horns, two trumpets, and ?

[@gheilers]

Hey guys! How's it going? --- Greg Heilers - Trumpet - Class of '81

[@danielstory2825]

Its amazing to me how much this band has changed over the past 30 years. Btw im in the band now class of 2016.

[@aidanm5913]

+Daniel Story haha, you're 2012 show was insane.

[@sarahcarter122]

Daniel Story in 2016 were you in band still? If so what was the name of the tune you arranged during the ballad. I love the UIL state performance so much and I recognize the tune but I could never figure it out.

[@cynthiagraves342]

Good to see a recent Dragon Band member commenting. Hope life is treating you well. ❤❤

[@rocketfan86]

Was the first state marching band contests by invitation from region?

[@cynthiagraves342]

Think so. It was Fall 1979.

[@90jazzer]

Was this when Bob Dalrymple was the band director at RRHS?