Albany Band Earns Division I Ratings, Advances to Area
The Albany High School Ragin’ Red Band is headed to area after earning Division I ratings from all three judges at the UIL Region 6 Marching Contest Monday, Oct. 19, putting the musicians one step closer to a possible trip to the state competition.
The band will compete Saturday, Oct. 31, in Lubbock against other Class 2A bands that qualified through their regional contests. Albany will march at 3:25 p.m. at Lowrey Field.
Band director Jessica Watkins said the regional performance was the band’s strongest of the season, reflecting months of preparation.
“We are so excited to be advancing to area!” Watkins said. “All of the hard work every day since July has paid off.”
The Ragin’ Red Band performed its 2026 marching production, “The Haunted Music Box” by Eric Rath, at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. The show incorporates props and features Kalison Oliver portraying the music box dancer.
The regional and area contests use different judging formats. At region, bands are evaluated against UIL performance standards and must earn a Division I rating to advance. At area, qualifying bands compete directly against one another, with judges ranking the performances to determine which bands move on to state.
For Class 2A, the top three bands at each area contest advance to the state marching band contest, with additional qualifying provisions under UIL rules.
Watkins said the area contest will present a new challenge for Albany as the band prepares to compete against other top-rated Class 2A programs.
“Now we are competing head to head against the other 2A bands that also made first-division ratings,” Watkins said. “Our area goes from the Panhandle to El Paso to south of San Angelo. It’s the largest area in the state.”
The band has two weeks to refine its performance before traveling to Lubbock. A clinic is scheduled for Monday evening at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium with Dan Harbaugh, marching band director at Abilene Christian University.
Watkins said the additional instruction will help the musicians identify areas for improvement as they prepare for the area contest.
