About Terrell

Some people seem to think all I do is run around with a camera in my hand taping H.S bands. Which is far from the truth of my life. Which I do have believe it or not. This website is starting to be seen as evil and tearing down the bands in Chicago...so be it. This website puts these little Chicago bands on the world view through videos and pictures. 1. I have been learning to speak Spanish for over a year now 2. I work a FULL TIME job for the US Government 3. My favorite TV show is WWE Monday night RAW!! 4. I lost weight and put it back on now I'm trying to take it back off lol 5. I'm going to Spain for two weeks next year 6. I attended Saint Xavier University on the southwest side for two years. I was in the concert band there. I hate concert band music but it helps you play better! 7. I like reggaeton music. My favorite is Ivy Queen 8. I hate waking up at 5am in the morning for work cause I'm just lazy hahahaha 9. I read all the harry potter books, but who didn't?? 10. My favorite movies are The Xmen Trilogy, Pirates of the Carribean, Lord of the Rings, Transformers, Scream, Star Trek
11. My favorite city is Las Vegas! I'll be back there for New Years celebrations!
12. People call me a lush cause most of the time I get drunk off Long Islands and Patron shots when I go out. No I don't drive drunk~tries to keep a stra8 face~

Chicago SHow Style Jamboree 2008

Thats what I want to call it! Having it the weekend of Jackie Robinson 2008 NOW!
Nothing is official yet. I have not even contacted anyone. But I have some folk in mind also Mrs. Lori James who help put together the BOTB before the classic. After Thanksgiving this plan of mine is going full steam ahead and I'm going to need your help

I'm going to try to enlist the help of Power 92, WGCI and Oprah...thats right Oprah!I want to put together a dvd featuring the BEST clips of some of the area high school bands and send it to these people. The event would take place at Gately. This will NOT be a BOTB...well not yet because that involves judges and trophies. Im thinking the event could go something like this:Bands show up Do field shows Dline showcasehave two bands meet on the field and battle(an idea only)Have all the bands form in the stands and play to the home side where the crowd will be and play a tune as one unit....leave that up to the band directors.
after that let them battle in the stands exit gately.Those are just ideas right now. I'm looking to include Chicago Bands: Julian Corliss KCP MP WCAB CVCA Dunbar
Kaotic as a guest drumline MAYBE:East and West Hillcrest(the only south burb band who really does marching in the spring)I have a wild Idea for you all as well! YOUTUBE.COM is our FRIEND!I was thinking that some of us could put videos on youtube and address them to WGCI, Oprah, Power 92, and Chicago Public schools, the News Media about supporting our cause. It's bold as hell but It would get maxium exposure. Or put them on DVD and send it to them!Let's start planning our attack in getting Chicago Style bands in Chicago an event to showcase your talent and being young African Americans(that always helps hehehehehe)If we want this to happen, to have a major event for the bands here instead of always going to the burbs, now is the time to act on it. IM SERIOUS! This plan of mine is moving forward after next week but Im going to seriously need yall HELP with Ideas and contacting people.

Bands: Fall Season Review 2007.

The Suburban bands are on top right now. That is all!!!

The Fall 2007 season was just OK. Many bands are under new direction and now have to get in tune with their new Director. We have Mr. Cooper at Julian, Ms. Nash at Morgan Park, and Mr. Frazier at CVCA(CVS).

I'm going to break down each band that I saw during the FALL season starting with the Classic up to RC BOTB. But before I do that I want to say this..KEEP THE ALUMNI/ADULTS/NON GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL OUT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL BANDS! PERIOD!
The Chicago bands are not what they were during the late 90s so get over it. They got better again this last 3 years now they in the dirt again. Let these band directors and current band students build their own bands back up on their own. using alumni to go against another H.S band proves nothing. That's why I thought the Windy City All Star band was nothing more than a distraction. Their alumni members jumping in the ranks with these H.S bands and some of them didn't even attend the school. I'll be damned these band directors are letting outsiders who never marched and sweat or even taught any of them to march in their bands. Shame on you! The only band I know of who didn't marching alumni during the regular school year so far was Julian, maybe King. I'm not sure about the burbs but most folk told me they were alumni free. They don't play that mess. Stop trying to relive you glory years now go to school or get a job. Why are 20 year old's marching with high school kids?

Now on to the heart of this blog!

King High School:

First, congratulations on the donation you received toward band uniforms!
This band was the most consistent band this whole season! Their sound was good and either stayed the same and in some cases improved over time. King compensated for the lack of trumpets but the band stayed within their range which is the best thing to do. They weren't that great at Bud Billiken but improved from then until the start of Football season.

Their dancers and twirlers for some odd reason do not march on the same foot as the band. I'm not sure why. It makes the whole band look off. Who's bright idea was it for the dancers to wear gym shoes??? hahahahahaha. the flag girls were nothing special.
In my opinion the best Chicago band overall this season was King! This is not the King band from 2005 but in some ways they are better than that 05 band and other things they can improve on. Such as marching as a unit and holding up their horns at shoulder length. Stop being lazy!

Corliss H.S Trojans:

It's the same thing with them every year. Their numbers keep going down, they march alumni and grown folk. The only attraction to this band is the Trojettes, I will get to them later.
Corliss sounded good one day then at events like the Chicago Classic and Homecoming they sounded terrible. It's a shame half the footage I have of them sounds band, but some folks say that's my fault. I make them look and sound band....to those people I saw "beseme culo"
This band marches people who graduated in 2003-2006. Why? CTB has been known to march their alumni since forever, fine! But to march folks who didn't even attend the school? I hope Mr. Burton paid them. Basically this band is nothing great. They can't drill to save their lives. Now they are doing that circle drill non stop. Their book never changes unless they get a hold of something from JSU. I hope a certain person gets to take over as band director. CTB how many times can you all play cold hearted, party don't stop, let's go, and espn in just about all the field shows y'all do or in the stands?? I heard something new like Lost Without You but that's it. CTB as a whole can do way better then the crap they have been putting out since 2004.
The Trojettes are still a good dance line but others are starting to catchup. First they have no identity no more. The majority of the counts they are doing come from JSU Jsettes and have been doing them since what?? 2003? They almost look, march, and dance like the Jsettes. But who are the Trojettes? Just Jsette wannabes? More originality can come from them since they have a choreographer, but he seems to only of use when it comes to field shows. I think they brought out their crabs way to late in the season but that's their tradition to bring them out mostly at Homecoming and the new girls were not hot at all. But we'll see won't we?

The worst band this season in my opinion was Corliss, as far as the regular Chicago bands go.

Morgan Park H.S:

They are under new direction with Ms. Nash. They sounded OK and played within their range since they are a small band. They didn't worry about who was bigger and whatnot, they just played their music to suit their band and I thought they was a good thing. I hope their sound improves during the winter season up until the spring. Their only issues is drilling. As seen at Rich Central they didn't place because basically they had no 8to5 drill or corps drill. But that's with the band director.
MP is notoriously known for having way too many Auxiliaries! For such a small band they will show up with dancers, flags, twirlers, and pom poms and they would out number the band. I feel all of that is not needed! Dancers, maybe 1-4 twirlers, and 10-12 flags. They take up so much room at Gately its crazy.

They were not the worst band in my opinion but I do see potential in them to get way than they are in the coming years.

Dunbar H.S

I'm not sure what to say about them. I didn't know half of that great fall 06 band graduated in 07 and left them with almost nothing lol. They only had a dline at BUD. Now they had alumni on tuba but they only have crab tubas who didn't know music or how to play for that matter. Mr. Mitchell has to start all over almost. But at the CVCA game they sounded decent. But they have a btone player who was trying to show off and just put out terrible notes and was trying to play over the band. That didn't work. It sounded terrible. The fhorns/mellos were not great either like in 2006. But I understand their circumstances once it was explained to me. DVCA recovered a LOT under Mitchell during the 04-06 seasons. So I have a feeling come this Spring DVCA will be back with a vengeance.
Their dancers are still OK. They haven't done anything to put them over the top just yet. But they smile a lot lol. The Dancette's Captain was bringing a little heat though!!

Chicago Vocational Career High School:

Another band under new director with Mr. Frazier, who really didn't do anything with Morgan park after Mr Daugherty left. With CVCA's bands they debuted new uniforms but I see a brand new CVCA band coming together. Seeing him at the MP game and DVCA game was a breathe of fresh air. He was very organized, he had the band sounding off as a unit, and he seemed to be about business! CVCA sounds better than they did in 2006 so I seem them getting better over the years. The old CVS band rule this city for a long time. People are ready to see that great band come back again. Now at the DVCA game I found out they marched alumni, OK fine. If he must but I don't agree with it. But they sounded good and the best I have heard them since 2000! Seven years people it's been. The students seemed to having so much fun and enjoying being in the band.
Their dancers needs lots of work! That's all I have to say about that lol.

Julian H.S!

My H.S I came out of in 2001. Mr. Key has moved on to Central State University and Mr. Lawrence Cooper took over as band director, I think I had a hand in that....YES I DID! So I was watching PLJ band a little harder then others.
Julian's new band director went to Southern University and was apart of the best drilling band in the USA. PLJ still remains the best drilling band as far as the show style bands in Chicago go, with king being a distant second. But starting off the year was bad. Their sound went down the tube. That CTB vs PLJ game was a disappointment. But oddly their sound kept getting better as the season went on even though their numbers dropped. This is the first year since 2003 I saw PLJ mess up a drill at Homecoming but if you didn't know what 8to5 was you probably didn't catch it. They sound was getting better but their main issues in my opinion were the Fhorns, tubas, and trumpets. The trumps kept trying to be heard like they had something to prove and wrong notes started flying everywhere. Same with the fhorns, just over blowing and wrong notes coming out. Some songs were better than others with this band. Their best performances this season were at the Classic, Homecoming, and Rich Central BOTB. PLJ now has the best band staff you can get. Their drills will get way better but their sound as a whole must improve to what it was pre 2007. Julian had one of the most progressive books of ANY band. Their band director and arrange, something new for a change around Chicago. Beautiful Girls, 9MM, Grateful, You Make Me Better, that Pussy Cat Girls tune from the classic, JUST TO NAME A FEW! I am getting sick of hearing ESPN and Lets go from all the bands but PLJ would have kept any battle interesting just by running of that book and I honestly believe they would have played any band out of Gately with their songs, cause the other band would run out first!

The Julian Dancing Dolls keep getting better and better! IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME LOOK AT THE DAMN VIDEOS! They do things that set them apart from everyone else. Granted all the squads here copy/remix counts from other squads but their Choreographer made up a lot of new dances for them. The dancers even made up their own for Ice Cream Man. They are using stunts in their shows now and they are crowd pleasers...listen to the wows and claps they got from the Rich Central crowd this year and last year. They need to step into some new uniforms, but that cost money so those girls being getting down with what they have. I can't wait to see them in the spring, from what some folks told me lol. Also, they got their crabs in line real quick! They have their tryouts in the summer after freshman orientation which helps because the girls can get ready during band camp and be ready or close to it by the start of the school year. Long story short the PLJ Dolls have been the most progressive squad and I believe the BEST out of any of the schools mentioned on here.
Their twirlers....no comment! But I do like the flag girl routine from Rich Central.

Proviso East H.S from Maywood!

They shocked me this fall. They by far would run over every Chicago Show band right now! They best sound as a whole band. East band started to slide over the last 2 years but came back on top. They are also the best sounding band on the field, meaning they maintain their full sound while marching, something other bands have a problem with. Their sound is full and no one "seems" to be trying to out play each other.

Proviso West H.S from Hillside.

Screw them lol. I couldn't see them at all. They kept marching with East as PT and they didn't go to the East game. O well. But they were the best band at PE BOTB, I ain't never heard a band that good in a long time so I was looking forward to seeing them this fall...but I guess I will have to wait until the spring!

Well...The south burbs..another section of bands who are just in a class by themselves!

Thornridge is the best band in the Chicago land area! Precision, something they do very well.

Rich Central puts on great shows ALL the time. Everyone in their band puts out energy and the crowd feeds off of it.

Rich South is another band I saw for the first time this season. Great marching, great sound, great drills. Basically the south and west burbs have the best marching bands while Chicago is trying to catch back up! But the season is over....what will happen in the Spring?

In closing: The band is a reflection of the band director. I'm sick of hearing its the students! Yea Chicago band students are not like down south band students but we shouldn't compare the two. If a band director has great knowledge of music and can create a system of teaching the basic marching fundamentals, 8to5 fundamentals, horn holding, and make it fun at the same time while weeding out problem students, Chicago bands would be a lot BETTER!

My own personal rankings:

Top 5 Bands overall all with the Burbs included

1. Thornridge
2. Proviso East
3. Rich Central/Rich South
4. King/Julian
5. Hillcrest

These are just my opinion from MY POINT OF VIEW! If you get offended by this or just say "he don't know shit" that's fine...this blog ain't going no where.

P.S. People also needs to stop with the "since my class came out the band sucks" bull crap. Unless you giving back in some way it doesn't mean anything. EVERYONE thinks their class was the shit, get your head out your butt~

Terrell E. Williams
webmaster

Rich Central BOTB 2007 Review

This is the most well thought out, well put together, and the BEST BOTB/Festival around for Chicago and Suburban bands. It showcases both Corps and Show styles of marching band and also it exposes students to different styles or similar styles with different variations.

I thought all of the bands who came did an excellent job. New comers Rich East and Morgan Park did well. Morgan Park has a new band director and they seem to be headed in the right direction. I hope this event showed them some things and gave them ideas on what to improve upon.

The band of the evening had to be Thornridge! Excellence of Execution is their game. Precision drills and an excellent sound helped them win 1st place in their division over Julian and Grand Champions.

The shout outs for the bands were a nice thing to add to the kids could have their parents and friends wish them well.

The best dancers of the day had to be Julian H.S' Dancing Dolls. Their new coordinator is doing a great job with them over the last 2 years. They had the best dance line there. By far they had the best crowd reaction to their dancers and stunts.

The best Flags and Twirlers were clearly Hillcrest H.S from Country Club Hills. They had bigger squads yet they were very much in sync with each other and that makes all the difference. They moved as a unit. Hillcrest's entire band has gotten better since I last saw them at Jackie 2007.

I hope this event continues for a long time and more Chicago bands get invited to come. We need more events like this. I thank Mr Crews and Rich Central H.S band booters parents for doing this for these young musicians!

Rich Central BOTB 2007 Information!!!

Band Name Arrive by Warm-up Travel Performance Class

Eisenhower HS 3:20 3:35 3:55 4:00 Corps/ A

Reavis HS 3:40 3:55 4:15 4:20 Corps/ A
Rich Central Drumline 4:15 4:25 4:35 4:40 Exh.
Hillcrest Drumline 4:25 4:35 4:45 4:50 DLC
Rich East Drumline 4:35 4:45 4:55 5:00 DLC
Proviso East Drumline 4:45 4:55 5:05 5:10 DLC
Rich South Drumline 4:55 5:05 5:15 5:20 DLC
Break 5:30

Show Style
Morgan Park HS 4:55 5:15 5:35 5:40 Show/A
Hillcrest HS 5:15 5:35 5:55 6:00 Show/A
Rich East HS 5:35 5:55 6:15 6:20 Show/A
Rich South HS 5:55 6:15 6:35 6:40 Show/A
Thornton HS 6:15 6:35 6:55 7:00 Show/A
Julian HS 6:35 6:55 7:15 7:20 Show/AA
Thornridge HS 6:55 7:15 7:35 7:40 Show/AA
Proviso East HS 7:15 7:35 7:55 8:00 Show/AAA
Exhibition (Rich Central HS) 7:35 7:55 8:15 8:20 Exh.
Central State Univ. 7:55 8:15 8:35 8:40 Exh.
Stage Drum Majors for Awards 9:00 Awards 9:10

The Bands do not Own Gately Stadium

What is on these band directors minds?

When you come to Gately it's a public place and the specatators have EVERY RIGHT to use all availble entrance ways into the stands!
Just because the bands are sitting in their little corner does not give them the right to block it off. People who are sitting there next to the bands need a way out and are not about to WALK through all those people just to get to the next set of stairs to walk down then they have to come all the way back that way.
CTB did that at the game with KCP. Some games are too packed for all that. I'm going to take it upon myself...thats right.....If I see it again I'm going to talk to someone. I find that highly stupid.
Now yall gone tell the wrong person one day they can't go down the steps next to the band when they need to go to the washroom or some parent needs to leave and come back up with their child.

Chicago Football Classic 2007 Review

The 10Th annual Chicago Football Classic has come and gone with over an estimated 30,000 spectators in attendance. This years Classic brought back the Battle of the High School Bands which featured Julian, Corliss, and King College Prep with Julian winning first place. I wish it could have been inside Soldier Field since there was plenty of time to hold it inside and more room. The area for the bands to do their show was just too small outside Soldier Field. Also, we had Rich Central, Dunbar, Proviso Township, Morgan Park, and Marshall's band looking on with other spectators so the venue outside was just too crowded. I would like to thank Ms. Lori James for putting together the event as many band students on this site would like to have more of these BOTB's.

The game itself was electric with Southern University beating Mississippi Valley State. MVSU's band continues to get better but SU was just too much for them. I thought the seating of the bands were a little too cramped. The promoters should revert to putting the bands in the end zones. There is more room in the end zone. The crappy "5Th quarter" is laughable as well. Why put both college bands back on the field in opposite directions and tell them to play? Mr. Jackson of SU stormed out after three songs. It is pointless to the HBCU bands; who thrive on competition with other bands to not face one another. I still feel that the Chicago Classic is ages behind our neighbors in Indianapolis with the Circle City Classic. The bands are put in hotels near the stadium, the parade is in the street, and the seating for the bands is way better.

The Chicago Classic is ten years old now. I have covered this event for this site on now three occasions and it feels like the "For us By us" black people who put on this classic for Historically Black Colleges and Universities still do not know what they are doing. I was almost not let in the press box because the lady in there who was "running things" didn't have proper information. At the 2006 Classic I had to wait almost two hours to get my Media Credential because Mr. Everett didn't want to give it to me after I filled all the paper work like I was asked to and that made me miss the pregame activities. He also gave members UAPB's media staff a hard time. This man with shorts and a tshirt who is one of the promoters for the second year in a row did not look very professional out there. The staff over at the Circle City Classic made things seem so seamless and made the whole experience there great. But it was run by a white guy, my own people who run the Chicago Classic was just out of order! I hope we can do better!

Why put the High School bands on parade for this Classic only to have them march down the side walk? They did not do it that way this year but yet again they put the parade in a place that no one in the Chicago land area could really pay attention. Other HBCU Classics have their parade going down real streets with floats and also includes the college bands. On http://www.swacfans.com/ college band members who have participated in this Classic said they felt "whored" at how the promoters just have them up at 5am doing news and radio interviews, put them in hotels outside of the city with poor transportation to visit downtown Chicago, and the seating arrangements for the bands are still a problem.

I hope in 2008 the 11Th annual Classic is much better for all involved. a Swac/Meac match up would better like in years past instead of just moving a Swac teams home game to Soldier Field and calling it a Classic.

Back to School/King/Julian/CTB/Chicago Classic

Well on Tuesday people are going back to school in the City of Chicago! Please everyone make it to school the first day!

Preseason videos of king are posted up.
On Friday September 7th @ 330pm Julian will make its debut under new Direction against Corliss @ Gately Stadium.

Also Friday I will be attending the Welcome Ceremony for the Chicago Classic at 1pm before I head to Gately. The Ceremony will be in downtown Chicago @ Daley Plaza 50 W Washington
Next Saturday is the Chicago Football Classic and SU and MVSU will be in the house this year. The H.S Bands I know of so far are Rich Central, Julian, Corliss, Proviso Township, King, and Morgan Park*PLJ, CTB, and King are doing field shows and after that there will be a H.S BOTB. I will contact Ms. Lori Jackson for further information on that.
Marching season is back in full swing!

Chicago Football Classic 2007!!!

September 8th, 2007 is the date for this years 10th annual Chicago Football Classic. This year the teams will be Mississippi Valley State vs Southern University from Baton Rouge, LA. Yes the JukeBox of SU will be in the house. These same two schools kicked off the very first classic 10 years ago. Su is returning to Chicago now under the direction of Mr. Lawrence Jackson! Chicago High Stepping bands will be out there for the parade kick off at Buckingham Fountain at 1pm.

For more information please visit http://www.chicagofootballclassic.biz/

Bud Billiken Parade 2007 Saturday!!

August 11, 2007 @ 10am will be the Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic’s 78th year. Marching Bands from Chicago confirmed are Corliss, Julian, King, Proviso Township, Hillcrest, and Windy City AllStars!

The Parade kicks off at 35th/King Drive and ends at 55th/King Drive at Washington Park

Farewell to Mr. Ramon Key Jr. Director of bands at Julian High School

It saddens me to write this but all men have to do what they need to do. After 14 years as head band director at Percy L. Julian High School, Mr. Key is now moving on to Central State University as the new Director of Bands.


Mr. Key became director at Julian in 1994 after Mr. Street. He started out with nothing and built Julian's band to be one of the most respected high stepping bands in Chicago. Introducing new uniforms in the spring of 1997, again in the spring of 2005 and winning numerous Concert Band awards during the late 1990s. During the year 2000 to the present the Julian Band has won 3rd and 1st place awards at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, multi time winner at the Proviso East BOTB four straight years, 1st place at Rich Central BOTB, performed at the Home Depot BOTB in California, and many others. This band also performed the pregame show before the TNSU vs NCAT HBCU classic game in the fall of 2005.


In a way you can say Mr. Key has taken PLJ as far as he could and is now ready to move on to the collegiate level. A new band director is still being sought after but they will have big shoes to fill.
I was under Mr. Key in the Julian band my last two years of high school and being in band was so far the best time of my life. I wish him well in Ohio. I'm still kind of worried how this will affect Julian's band. I do not want another rebuilding period because it took so long for this band to get were it is today.
On behalf of this site and myself personally we wish Mr. Ramon Key a fond farewell and Gods' Speed!