Today we're starting a new weekly post celebrating the history of the Eastland Band Program.  Up first, a recently converted video of the Eastland Marching Band in 1986 under the direction of Phil Hewitt.

This week's throwback Thursday is brought to you by Watch This Motors.​

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EXCITING NEWS!
The Eastland Band students are achieving an unprecedented level of success.  In the last five years they have earned their 9th consecutive sweepstakes, performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, IL, won the 2018 1C Middle School and 3A High School Outstanding Performance Series Statewide Band contest and we couldn't be more proud of them.

Achieving this level of success comes at a very high cost in terms of instruments, uniforms, staffing, design fees, transportation, as well as other behind-the-scenes costs that no one but the directors or students might realize as the seasons progress.  We currently depend on donations from people like you for a large portion of our costs that are imperative to the success of the program. We've set up an easy online platform for you to set up a recurring, or one-time donation.

If you prefer, you can mail a check in support of the students of the Eastland High School Band.

Donating is easy. Send a check here:

Eastland Band
Attn: Stephen Cox
900 W Plummer
Eastland, TX 76448

Or donate online here:

DONATE

Thank you for your continued support of the Eastland High School Band!
Email questions to scox@eastland.esc14.net
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The Eastland Band Boosters is a 501(3)(c) Non-profit Organization

 This past week was an exciting week for the Eastland Band Program. It began with region solo and ensemble contest at at Stephenville High School on Feburary 9th.  The Eastland Band left with 10 1st division ensemble medals and 15 1st division ensemble medals.  Of the students that competed 18 of them are advancing to Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest this May.

The week continued at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio.  Eastland had three students make the all-state band: Shelby Fuquay, Joshua Karki, and Dillon McGrath.  These students rehearsed all week with nationally recognized clinicians and performed a concert at the Lila Cockrell Theater in downtown San Antonio on Saturday.

​Eastland Hosting the ATSSB All-region Jazz Concert this Saturday 2/2/2019
This weekend 40 students from nine area high schools will come to Eastland to hold the 2019 ATSSB All-region Jazz Concert and Clinic.  The program will be open to the public and a concert featuring two region jazz bands as well as the Tarleton Jazz Ensemble will happen at 4:00PM Saturday Feburary 2nd at the Eastland Majestic Theatre.

Friday the students and directors will arrive and rehearse at the newly renovated high school campus.  "This made it an easy decision for the region," said Mr. Cox, Eastland High School Band Director and Region 7 Jazz Coordinator, "The renovation of our high school campus as well as the work done this summer by the Eastland maintenance department to renovate the band hall bathrooms makes our facilities more than adequate to host a region event."

The region jazz bands will be lead by Dr. Andrew Stonerock from Tarleton State University and Dr. Andrew Allen from Midwestern State University.  The students performing were chosen in a audition process that took place in September of last year.  9 of the 40 students performing are from Eastland High School.  The remaining members are from Mineral Wells, Stephenville, Seymour, Witchita Falls, Iowa Park, Olney, and Brownwood.

Eastland hosted region 2 all-region jazz bands during the late 1980's when Phil and Joyce Hewett were the school band directors.  In recent years it has been held at Tarleton State University and Stephenville HS.

"We would love to see the community come out to this concert on Saturday 4:00PM in the Majestic.  It's such an honor to get to host these students, directors, and clinicians here in Eastland." 

This Saturday the Eastland High School Band performed at Mineral Wells HS Stadium in the Region 7 Marching contest.  The band left with 1st division ratings from all 3 of their contest judges (the highest score possible at region UIL).  This is the Band's 9th consecutive year to receive a 1st division rating at marching contest. 

The band's show this year is titled Chess: A Game of Revolution.  The show involves giant chess pieces that move around the field (built by band parents with Ken Smith, local carpenter, leading the project). It features music from Shostakovitch, Muse, and Tears for Fears.  The show designer is Clayton Harris and music arranger is Luke McMillan.

The band has had a fantastic semester with performances and awards at several contest including wining best in class, outstanding 3A percussion, and  outstanding 3A color guard at the Paluxy Valley Marching Contest in Glen Rose.   One particular performance of note was the football game in Early a couple of weeks ago.  Due to a power failure, all of the lights in the stadium went out 5 seconds into the haltftime show.  The band, well prepared, continued performing in the dark without hesitation and received a standing ovation from the crowd at Early.

This year was the first time in almost a decade that the band had a color guard.  Led by Shelley Reinhardt and Stacey Jones, the color guard has garnered praise everywhere they have performed.  Choreographer for the colorguard is Mike  McGeehee.

The band is directed by Stephen Cox, Jett Lowrance, and Juan Hernandez.  This year the band has had a student teacher helping in the program: Grant Shane from Tarleton State University.   The Band will perform their full show this Friday at the game in Maverick stadium and have one last contest performance on November 10th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

Time for the Beginning of School Video 2018 edition.  This one was particularly fun!

This December the Eastland HS Band had the Distinct Honor of performing at the 2017 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, IL.  This international music education conference is considered to be the most important Music Education Conference in the World.

The band performed as a part of a clinic with composer William Owens entitled, "Doing Within When You are Doing Without" and specifically addressed the challenged faced with instrumentation in small school band programs.  The performance included full performances of William Owens works "Across the Great Plains" conducted by Eastland MS Director 

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It's that time of year again for our Eastland Band 1st Day of School Video.   Special thanks for Stephanie Cox and Ashley Lowrance for helping out again,

​Every year in the state of Texas bands enter their contest recordings into a state wide contest called the Outstanding Performance Series. This compares recordings back to back with other bands across the state in an elimination and ranking system.

This year the Eastland Middle School Honor Band advanced a concert selection and a march to the state level. On July 21st during the final judging Eastland was ranked 6th on the concert piece and took home the 1st place title in the March category.

This is an unprecedented achievement for Eastland Middle School.

Jett Lowrance directs the Eastland Middle School Honor Band, an ensemble made up of forty-three 7th and 8th grade students. The Eastland band program consists of a 6th grade beginner band program, a 7th and 8th grade band program, and a high school band program that includes 9th-12th grade students. 

Eastland offers a jazz class for grades 8-12. The jazz class averages 55 members split into two performing and competing ensembles. 6th and 7th Grade students audition each year for the Middle School Symphonic and Honor Bands. Stephen Cox directs the symphonic band, high school band, and Jazz Band 1. Both Middle School bands competed at UIL last year, a first for two middle school bands from Eastland ISD, and both bands received a first division in Concert. During the 2015-2016 school year, the Eastland High School Band received their seventh consecutive UIL sweepstake award and competed in the AAA UIL State Marching Contest where they ranked sixteenth. 

Jett Lowrance is responsible for the middle school band program, and Stephen Cox is responsible for the high school band program; both programs are team-taught. The amazingly wonderful and multitalented Ashley Lowrance teaches 6th grade percussion. The principal of Eastland Middle School is Jason Henry and the superintendent for Eastland ISD is Jason Cochran.