Highlander Band Program Earns Honors
Highland Park High School’s Highlander Band has earned prestigious statewide and national recognition with recordings of performances from the 2016–17 academic year.
The Wind Symphony, directed by Reagan Brumley, placed fourth in the Texas Music Educator Association’s Honor Band Competition, a state championship for concert bands.
And Highland Park Percussion, under the direction of James LaBrecque, was one of only three high school percussion ensembles selected to perform in November at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis.
“The PAS Call for Tapes is the largest and most prestigious percussion contest in the United States,” Katherine Schultz, last year’s Highlander Band Booster Club Publicity Chair, explained in an email. “To be selected is the highest honor an ensemble can receive.”
HP Percussion will perform a 50-minute showcase concert for more than 5,000 music educators, composers, and performers.
To be selected to do so, the school submitted recordings of its most advanced ensembles this past spring. Those were judged by a panel of collegiate professors and professional percussionists.
Similarly, the Honor Band competition required submission of three selections, one march, and two symphonic works recorded at a concert, festival, or contest.
Across the state, 82 bands advanced to the regional competition with 58 bands progressing to area competition and 16 5A bands to state. The Highlander Band ranked first place in its area.
“This is the first time in history that the Highlander Band has advanced to the state finals level in the Honor Band Competition,” Schultz said.
