George Little, the president of the Texas Bandmasters Association has recognized director Carol Nelson and the McCallum marching band as the TBA’s 2024 Exemplary High School Band Program. Little announced the award during Thursday’s opening ceremony of the Texas Bandmasters 2024 Convention and Clinic in the Lila Cockrell Theatre at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio.

Each year TBA recognizes one middle school and one high school band program for demonstrating consistent excellence over a prolonged period of time.

“It is a huge honor of the McCallum Band program to be chosen as the 2024 TBA Exemplary High School Band in the state,” Nelson told MacJ on Friday. “Credit goes to our outstanding students and directors throughout the years: Mac Band Proud!”

Nelson added that the experience was both humbling and unbelievable.

Nelson was accompanied at Thursday evening’s president’s reception by Philip Taylor, AISD director of fine arts, and Cesar DeLeon, administrative supervisor of fine arts.

In its write-up to explain why the McCallum Band program merited the status as the 2024 Exemplary High School Band Program, TBA noted the breadth of performance opportunities (three performing concert bands, a jazz ensemble, two steel drum ensembles, a samba band, a full percussive program, an indoor winter guard and a marching band as well as band musician participation in the varsity and non-varsity orchestras) and the band program’s consistent sweepstakes excellence in UIL and other band competitions.

Specifically, the band program was recognized for having a marching band that advanced to the UIL State Marching Band Competition six times (1979, 1980, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021) and a wind ensemble that has advanced to the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band State Finals five times (2004, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2024). The percussion program also has earned competitive distinction as the 2015 Percussive Arts Society International Ensemble winner.

McCallum band groups have also earned distinction by performing at the the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago three times: The Knights of Steel in 2007 and 2012 and the percussion program in 2019. The Knights of Steel also hosted and performed at the 2024 National Society for Steel Band Educators Conference.

Band students were also recognized for their consistent strong showing in TMEA, UIL and other individual competitions and for their consistent collaboration with and contribution to the other disciplines within the Fine Arts Academy. They also were recognized for their frequent pursuit of music study in college with the goal to become professional musicians or music educators.

The final accolade that TBA acknowledged was the Grammy Foundation’s recognition of McCallum High as its 2015 National Signature School. In 2005, McCallum was a finalist for the same award.

The Vela Middle School band program and its director Mario Sarmiento were recognized as the TBA 2024 Exemplary Middle School Band Program at the opening ceremony.

The band directors include Nelson, Dillon Junkin, Ryan Pride and Jeff Rudy. The color guard director is Wilbert Toruno.