welcome to band yap bandtober essentials, where we look back on some of our favorite episodes to help fuel your jam-packed competition schedule. whether you’re on the road to contests or just needing a quick dose of inspiration to keep you going, these hand-picked episodes are here to keep you company all october long.

enjoy this essential episode with brian sours, originally released on february 11, 2025

he's the wrestler of band. and a legend in his own right.

we yapped with brian about his background, his career, and how it has culminated into this unbelievable year: finalist at state marching contest, featured small school band at the midwest clinic, AND the tmea 2a honor band. aside from that, we discussed 90s wrestling, chicago pizza, and took his dairy queen order (he's a heath man).

welcome to band yap bandtober essentials, where we look back on some of our favorite episodes to help fuel your jam-packed competition schedule. whether you’re on the road to contests or just needing a quick dose of inspiration to keep you going, these hand-picked episodes are here to keep you company all october long.

enjoy this essential episode with josh gall, originally released on july 24, 2025.

"we will do what is hard. we will achieve what is great." jed bartlet said it, and josh gall lives it.

josh gall is a co-founder of ultimate drill book. if you want to talk about visionary, he's not only in the conversation- he is the conversation. josh has grinded for many years, selling sub sandwiches, hand printing and assembling dot books at kinkos, writing countless drills, and submerging his product in fish tanks, all with the goal of making band director's jobs easier. this has culminated in the creation of an app that many band director's consider a lifeline in this day and age, as well as other innovations such as beam and stridetv. we yapped with josh about drum corps, the early days of ultimate drill book, his time with the university of texas bands, oboe math, and his love of restaurants and entertaining.

sponsored by:

• ⁠⁠shawn murphy⁠⁠⁠ with fanpledge
• ⁠⁠the band blueprint⁠⁠⁠⁠ (use promo code bandyap5 when you purchase)
• ⁠⁠troubadour consultants⁠⁠⁠⁠

check out our uil pml playlists on ⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠ (all 5 grades available!)

listen to our ⁠⁠⁠mixtape⁠⁠⁠

listen to our ⁠⁠⁠march madness⁠⁠⁠ playlist

get help with your resume, or featured on our socials to assist in your job hunt, fill out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠talent connect form⁠⁠

welcome to band yap bandtober essentials, where we look back on some of our favorite episodes to help fuel your jam-packed competition schedule. whether you’re on the road to contests or just needing a quick dose of inspiration to keep you going, these hand-picked episodes are here to keep you company all october long.

enjoy this essential episode with mike howard, originally released on june 13, 2025. since that time, mike has taken on a new role as deputy director for tmea.

band directors: assemble

mike howard has collected all of the infinity stones. he's won honor band, state marching contest, and grand nats. more importantly than any of those accomplishments, he has committed himself to the betterment of band education across the state of texas. to do so, he currently serves as vice president and band division chair for the texas music educators association (tmea). we talked with him about his band experiences, his love of seinfeld, the texas water safari, superior chicken establishments, and what it was like to have his dad as his band director.

sponsored by:

• ⁠shawn murphy⁠⁠ with fanpledge
• ⁠the band blueprint⁠⁠⁠ (use promo code bandyap5 when you purchase)
• ⁠troubadour consultants⁠⁠⁠
• 
  

check out our uil pml playlists on ⁠youtube⁠ (all 5 grades available!)

listen to our ⁠⁠mixtape⁠⁠

listen to our ⁠⁠march madness⁠⁠ playlist

get help with your resume, or featured on our socials to assist in your job hunt, fill out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠talent connect form⁠⁠