Awards and recognitions, High School Band

The Argyle High School Band consists of approximately 165 students, and is the largest and most visible organization on campus. Throughout its history, the Argyle High School Marching Band has consistently earned first division ratings at UIL Region Marching Contests, and has advanced to the Area Marching Contest every year eligible. The Argyle High School Marching Band has advanced to the State Marching Contest twelve times, and advanced to finals in each appearance. The Argyle High School Marching Band holds a record eight gold medals, earning first place in 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2021. The Argyle High School Band also earned the silver medal in 2016 and 2018. The Argyle High School Band had been the Class AA Champions at the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional, Bands of America Mid-Cities Regional, Bands of America Waco Regional, and also earned multiple caption awards.

Most recently, the Argyle High School Band advanced to the semi-finals and placed in the top twenty-five of one hundred and thirteen bands at its first ever Bands of America Grand Nationals Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Much of what the Argyle High School Band is able to achieve is due to the very strong foundation our students receive and establish in elementary music and middle school band by a team of esteemed educators.

In addition to our students’ success on the marching field, they have been very successful in the classroom. Over the past twenty years, we have had a number of Valedictorian and Salutatorian graduates to include the 2024 Valedictorian and 2025 Valedictorian. As many as 8 of the top ten graduating seniors have been band students in year’s past. National merit finalists, semi finalists and hispanic scholars have also made band a part of their well-rounded high school experience.

uil state marching contest

The Argyle High School Marching Band holds the record for most state championships won of any marching band, regardless of classification, in Texas. These students have to advance from the Region marching contest, make finals at area, be in the top 3 or 4 bands at the area level, then place in the top 10 at the State Marching Contest to advance to finals, where these rankings are finalized. The Argyle Marching Band has not only advanced to State, but they have made finals every single year at the UIL State Marching contest.

Some videos of past performances back to 2008 are below if you click the underlined years.

(Note, up until Fall 2023 the state marching band contest was only held every other year)

2024 - 7th place, Class 5A State Finalist

2021 - 1st place, Class 4A Gold Medalists

2020 - 1st place, Class 4A Gold Medalists

2018 - 2nd place, Class 4A Silver Medalists

2016 - 2nd place, Class 4A Silver Medalists

2014 - 1st place, Class 4A Gold Medalists

2012 - 1st place, Class 3A Gold Medalists

2010 - 1st place, Class 3A Gold Medalists

2008 - 1st place, Class 3A Gold Medalists

2006 - 5th place, Class 3A State Finalist

2005 - 1st place, Class 2A Gold Medalists

2003 - 1st place, Class 2A Gold Medalists

TMEA Honor Band

2022 - Honor Band Winner, Class 4A (Jason Bird, Director)

2017 - Runner Up, Class 4A (Kathy Johnson, Director)

2015 - Runner Up, Class 3A (Kathy Johnson, Director)

2013 - 5th Place, Class 3A (Kathy Johnson, Director)

2009 - Honor Band Winner, Class 3A (Kathy Johnson, Director)

2006 - Honor Band Winner, Class 2A (Cindy Mikel, Director)

2004 - Runner up, Class 2A (Cindy Mikel, Director)

Outstanding performance series:

Not only is the Argyle High School Marching Band incredible, the Concert band continues to excel every single year.

The Association of Texas Small School Bands (ATSSB) holds a competition every year where recordings are submitted to a panel of judges from each region in Texas. Each band can submit two concert pieces and one march. The winners in each region advance to the area level and the winners at the area level advance to the state level, at which point the overall winners are selected and the top two in each category are published on a CD. Below are the years the Argyle High School Band has placed first or second and been published on the annual CD.

Note: Argyle is no longer eligible to compete due to the move to 5A.

2019 - 2nd place March: Honey Boys on Parade (Jason Bird, director)

2017 - 2nd place Concert: The Hounds of Spring (Kathy Johnson, director)

2015 - 1st place Concert: Symphonic Dance No. 3 (Kathy Johnson, director)

2008 - 2nd place Concert: Symphonic Dance No. 3 (Kathy Johnson, director)

2008 - 1st place Concert: Trittico (Kathy Johnson, director)

2008 - 2nd place Concert: Sarabande and Polka (Kathy Johnson, director)

2007 - 2nd place Concert: Vesuvius (Kathy Johnson, director)

2004 - 1st place March: Glory of the Yankee Navy (Cindy Mikel, director)

2004 - 1st place Concert: Linden Lea (Cindy Mikel, director)

2004 - 2nd place Concert: Pablo! (Cindy Mikel, director)

2003 - 2nd place March: Honey Boys on Parade (Cindy Mikel, director)

Grand Nationals

2024 - Semi Finalist

Class AA 4th place

San Antonio Super Regional

2023 - Class AA Champion

Outstanding Music Performance
Outstanding Visual Performance
Outstanding General Effect

2022 - Class AA Champion

Outstanding Music Performance
Outstanding Visual Performance
Outstanding General Effect

Dallas Mid Cities Regional

2024 - Class AA Champion

Outstanding Music Performance
Outstanding General Effect

Bands of America Waco Regional

2022 - Class AA Champion

Outstanding Music Performance
Outstanding Visual Performance

Bands of America

Bands of America (BoA) is a series of competitions hosted by Music for All. BoA competitions happen nationwide and consist of smaller regional competitions, larger super-regional competitions, and even a national circuit. The Argyle High School Band started competing in Bands of America competitions in the fall of 2022 and won their classification at the Waco Regional as well as the San Antonio Super Regional, along with sweeping every caption award that Bands of America presents to schools.

Awards and Recognitions, Middle School Band

The Argyle Middle School band advanced to the State level of the TMEA Honor Band process in 2023 and placed 10th in the State. Our middle school bands have been named both commended and national winners in the Mark of Excellence and Citation of Excellence competitions. In 2019, the Argyle Middle School Honor Winds were invited to perform at the Music for All National festival in Indianapolis.

You can read more below:

Music for all national Festival

The Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, celebrates outstanding music-making by the nation’s finest high school and middle school scholastic ensembles, invited to perform in concert after a national, recorded audition. The Argyle Middle School Honor Winds were invited to perform at the 2019 National Festival in Indianapolis and performed the following six selections:

Eagles Awake - Richard Saucedo

Variations on Scarborough Fair - Calvin Custer

Simple Gifts - Frank Ticheli

King Cotton - John Philip Sousa

Night Fury - Carol Brittin Chambers

Stormbreak - Jim Casella

AtSSB Outstanding Performance Series

The Association of Texas Small School Bands (ATSSB) sponsors the Outstanding Performance Series, where every year recordings are submitted to a panel of judges from each region in Texas. This contest is open to all 4A schools and smaller. Each band can submit two concert pieces and one march. The winners in each region advance to the area level and the winners at the area level advance to the state level, at which point the overall winners are selected and the top two in each category are published on a CD. Below are the years the Argyle Middle School Band has placed first or second and been published on the annual CD.

In 2021, the Argyle Middle School Symphonic Band was the first Non-Varsity band in the history of the OPS contest to have a recording published on the CD.

As of fall 2022, Argyle is no longer eligible to compete due to the move to 5A.

2022 - 1st place March: The Washington Post March (Evan Fletcher, director)

2021 - 2nd place Concert piece: Night Fury - (Symphonic Band) (Bojan Gutic, director)

2021 - 1st place March: The High School Cadets (Evan Fletcher, director)

2019 - 1st place Concert piece: Simple Gifts, all 4 movements (Evan Fletcher, director)

2018 - 1st place March: The Footlifter March (Evan Fletcher, director)

2018 - 1st place Concert Piece: Songs of Old Kentucky (Evan Fletcher, director)

2017 - 1st place March: El Arco de Los Cabos (Evan Fletcher, director)

2017 - 1st place Concert Piece: Summer Resounding (Evan Fletcher, director)

2015 - 1st place March: March of the Buccaneers (Evan Fletcher, director)

2015 - 1st place Concert Piece: Highland Celebration (Evan Fletcher, director)

2012 - 2nd place March: Prestissimo (Ray Hilley, director)

2011 - 2nd place March: Gallant Marines March (Ray Hilley, director)

2005 - 1st place March: The Tahoka Gallop (Chris Burk, director)

2005 - 1st place Concert Piece: Songs of the Whalemen (Chris Burk, director)

2005 - 2nd place Concert Piece: Latin Folk Song Trilogy (Chris Burk, director)

2004 - 1st place March: Newcastle March (Chris Burk, director)

2004 - 1st place Concert Band: Quintology (Chris Burk, director)

Mark of Excellence, Citation oF Excellence

Hosted by the Foundation for Music Education, this competition is similar to the ATSSB OPS competition, but this one is conducted on a nationwide level. The top 25% are named National Winners and the next 25% are named Commended Winners with National Winners being published on an annual CD.

The Citation of Excellence is specific to Non-Varsity Bands (Our Symphonic Band) and follows the same parameters.

Mark of Excellence:

2024 - Commended Winner

2023 - Commended Winner

2022 - National Winner

2021 - National Winner

2019 - Commended Winner

2018 - National Winner

2017 - Commended Winner

Citation of Excellence: