It's no easy task being an officer in the Ram Band. The backbone of the Ram Band has always and will always be student leadership. In order to learn and be ready to lead others, Ram Band leaders go to a lot of different leadership camps, workshops, meetings, and training. From Sunday, June 19th - Thursday, June 23rd, Ram Band leaders were in Commerce, TX at the Texas A&M Leadership Camp under the direction of acclaimed band director, Frank Troyka. While in Commerce, over 40 of the Ram Band leaders were hard at work in training sessions, marching band practices, music rehearsals, and fitness training with other students from all over Texas. On Monday, June 27th - Thursday, June 30th, the leaders will go through another phase of training at the annual Alumni Leadership "Boot Camp" held at Waltrip. This is a unique experience as current leaders get to engage in training and discussions led by former Ram Band leaders. The Boot Camp is from 4pm - 8:30pm. Top 8 officers begin on June 27th and the full officer team begins on June 28th. Officers should bring binders, pens, instruments, and wear comfortable clothing. Let's continue to work hard as we push for our goal!!

NEW OFFICERS CROWNED:
(5/23/11)

The Annual Band Banquet was held Friday, May 20th at 6:00pm at Crowne Plaza Hotel-Brookhollow. It was a special night when band members, band parents, alumni, directors, faculty and staff all gathered in formal attire to celebrate this past school year and make announcements regarding the future. Announcements were made regarding new officer positions and band trip.

The new 2011-2012 Drum Majors are Stephanie Bravo, Isabella Zamora, Deborah Pederson, and Alexis Zamora. Congratulations to these four young ladies for their hard work! The Ram Band looks forward to a very successful 2011-2012 marching season when we push to do something no other HISD band has ever done before: Advance to State!

For the full 2011-2012 Officer Team, click here.

CALLING ALL PROSPECTIVE BAND MEMBERS:
(5/25/11)

All 8th grade band students are invited to attend our Annual Waltrip Band Mini-Camp, Monday, June 13, 2011 - Thursday, June 16, 2011, right after the school year ends. This mini-camp is from 8:00am until 2:00pm at Waltrip High School; free breakfast and lunch will be served in the cafeteria for all students. The purpose of the camp is to help the students become accustomed to how we run our band program at Waltrip and to help further develop their music skills as they prepare for high school.

We would like to encourage all 8th grade students to come to the mini-camp. The students should bring instruments, water bottles, sunscreen and should wear casual clothes and tennis shoes – not sandals. If a student does not have his/her instrument, an instrument may be provided depending on availability.

Please feel free to contact us in the Band Office if you have questions or should need more information, our contact information is listed above. We look forward to your attendance and participation. Also, don’t forget our annual Summer Band Camp, which will begin on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 7:30am.

Musically Yours,

Charles J. Stephens
Band Director

UIL SUCCESS:
(4/15/11)

Thursday, April 7th Symphonic Band participated in the Region XXIII Concert & Sight Reading Contest at Mayde Creek HS. Symphonic Band received a 1st Division - Superior Rating on stage. The following week, April 14th, Concert Band competed at the same event and received a 2nd Division - Excellent Rating on stage. Both bands practiced long hours to achieve the best rating, put on their best performance, and maintain the standard that has been set for the Ram Band!

Good job to both groups!

JAZZ SEASON KICKS OFF:
(3/11/11)

The Waltrip Ram Band Jazz Ensembles traveled to the Blinn College Jazz Festival yesterday, March 10, and were very successful. The WHS Jazz Combo, Jazz 2 and Jazz 1 performed in the competition. Jazz 1 and the Combo received 1st division ratings; Jazz 2 was close behind with a 2nd division rating, only 2pts from earning a 1st division. We also had several students to earn Outstanding Soloist awards. In addition to their 1st division rating, Jazz 1 won 1st place as the top 4A Jazz Ensemble. All of the students did an excellent job representing Waltrip High School and HISD. This was a great start to the Jazz season!

5th ANNUAL WALTRIP JAZZ FESTIVAL:
(2/20/11)

Saturday, February 19th from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, numerous elementary, middle, and high school jazz bands from the Houston area performed on the Waltrip stage. At 6:30 pm, there was a concert featuring Waltrip's Jazz 1, the HISD All-Star Band with guest clinician and pianist, Dr. Herman Lee, and the Blinn College "Deep Blue". We'd like to thank all of the bands for taking part in this event, as well as the judges, students, band parents, etc. who made this event successful for the 5th year in a row. >>>Complete Performance Schedule<<<

WALTRIP SILKS TAKE FIRST PLACE:
(2/2/11)

On Saturday, January 29th, Waltrip's Color Guard competed at the HISD Marching Auxiliary Dance Competition at Lanier Middle School. The Color Guard competed in four different categories and received:

• 1st Place Soloist Award (Stephanie Bravo)
• 1st Place Quartet Ensemble Award (Vanessa Muniz, Tahiana Pastrana, Lilia Robles & Monica Ruiz)
• 1st Runner Up All-Dance Trio (Carmelita Anderson, Ashley Lutrick, Azeneth Quiroz).
• Superior Rating, Winter Guard

Overall, the Colorguard earned 1st Place in the Auxiliary division. The Waltrip Band congratulates the Colorguard and their instructor, Andy Ayala, on their success at this event. The Color Guard had not participated in a competition of this sort in over 10 years. We are proud of them and are confident they will continue to raise the bar.

JAZZ 1 AWARDED TRINITY JAZZ PRESTIGE AWARD:
(1/24/11)

On Friday, January 28th at 7pm, Jazz 1 will be performing at the 10th Annual Trinity Jazz Festival as a Prestigue Award-winning ensemble. The Prestige Award is a recognition of the excellence of young people in jazz in Houston.The award will be presented at 8pm on Friday, January 28 at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church, 1015 Holman at Main, in midtown Houston. Jazz 1 will perform immediately prior to the presentations beginning at 7 pm. At 8pm, the Jazz Festival Concert will begin featuring guitarist/flautist, Erich Avinger and saxophonist, Tia Fuller.

More Information: http://www.trinityjazzfest.net/

RAM BAND MEMBER STATE-BOUND:
(1/13/11)

For the first time in over 10 years, a member of the Ram Band has made the Texas All-State Symphonic Band.

Johnny Olivares, a junior in the band, will perform with the Texas All-State 4A Symphonic Band in San Antonio, Saturday, February 12, 2011 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio as part of the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention. He was chosen for this honor through a competitive process held this year across the state at District, Region and Area levels. Johnny is a student of Gwen Juarez and plays at school under the direction of Charles Stephens and Jesse Espinosa who are members of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 10,000+ member organization headquartered in Austin. This is Johnny Olivares’ first time to perform as a member of a TMEA All-State organization.

High school students selected to perform in the All-State concerts have competed through several levels of auditions beginning in the fall of 2010 to arrive at the state level. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. Over 1,500 students are selected through a process that began with over 60,000 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 13 ensembles (bands, orchestras and choirs).

For his achievements, Johnny was featured in the January 20th edition of The Leader.

This is a great accomplishment for Johnny Olivares. The Ram Band is very proud of him! Congratulations!

2nd SEMESTER BEGINS:
(1/4/11)

Welcome back to all the students. 2nd semester has begun. During the Spring semester, the Ram Band changes gears and band members transition into jazz and concert-style music. The Ram Band is proud this year to now have four Jazz Bands, and two Concert bands. We look forward to this new semester, and hope all of you had a great Winter break. Time to get to work!

ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT:
(11/20/10)

The annual Ram Band Holiday Concert will be held Thursday, December 2nd at 6pm. The concert will feature performances from the Marching Band, the Colorguard, Alumni Jazz Band, and the combined concert bands. Following the concert, there will be a reception in the band hall.

Join us for this Annual Holiday celebration!

UIL SUCCESS:
(10/20/10)

On Tuesday, the Ram Band competed at Region XXIII UIL. Going into this season, the Ram Band Drum Majors, officers, and members had a goal of achieving Straight 1's at UIL. Well for the first time in nearly 5 years, the Ram Band once again received a 1st Division rating from each of the three judges and achieved this high honor. This is a major accomplishment and continues the streak of success the band has had over the last few years at UIL. Although this was the major competition of the season, the Ram Band is not done yet. On Saturday, October 30th, the band will return to the Sam Houston State University Marching contest after a 5 year absence. Please continue to support our efforts as we continue to make history!

WATCH THE PERFORMANCE

CONTEST SEASON IS HERE!:
(10/1/10)

October is the month where all of the practices and hardwork begin to pay-off as bandmembers participate in marching contests throughout the state of Texas. These competitions serve as "dress rehearsals" for the ultimate competition - Region XXIII UIL on Tuesday, October 19th at Katy-Rhodes Stadium. Here is the break-down of scheduled competitions this marching season and performance times:

Band members, parents, alumni, supporters, and spectators, please take note of these times and continue to support the Ram Band as it continues to make history with the music of Tower of Power.

TOWER OF POWER:
(8/17/10)

For over 40 years, Tower of Power has been creating their own kind of soul music. Since 1968, Tower of Power has delivered their unique brand of music to their fans, appearing before sold out crowds as they tour the world each year. Tower’s sound can be hard to categorize, but the band's leader and founding member, Emilio Castillo, has labeled their sound as "Urban Soul Music."

Tower's rhythm section lays down a groove like no other band. The band’s horn driven sound is unique, and the way they approach everything, from writing and arranging to mixing and performing, is totally their own.

The Ram Band has had the pleasure of performing Tower of Power's music on the field three times within the past 15 years. In fact, T.O.P. visited Waltrip in 1997. This year marks the fourth time a T.O.P-themed show has been performed and its now overtaken Summertime as the show most played by this band.

Mr. Stephens with Tower of Power, 1997

THE RAM BAND IS BRINGING FIREWORKS:
(6/29/10)

MR. STEPHENS HONORED AT CARNEGIE HALL:
(4/22/10)

Mr. Stephens, the Waltrip band director for nearly 30 years, was awarded the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Award on Friday, April 16th.

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation presented its 8th annual music teacher awards at Carnegie Hall in New York.  Five music teachers were selected from across the country to receive this special award. The award recognizes music teachers who best emulate the personal characteristics and dedication of "Mr. Holland," portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss in the hit 1995 movie. The awards were presented by Richard Dreyfuss during a concert saluting Lerner and Loewe, performed by the New York Pops and conducted by Steven Reineke.

Music teachers who receive this honor:

• Instill a love of music in their students through instrumental music instruction in grades K-12
• Have the passion, dedication and leadership skills to persevere under difficult circumstances
• Give generously of their time, energy and talent, exceeding what is expected of music educators
• Demonstrate creativity regardless of availability of instruments, materials, classroom space and budget limitations
• Inspire students and challenge them to attain the highest level of musicianship
• Encourage musical growth through ongoing individual and group performance, auditions and evaluations

Mr. Stephens surely fits the description above, and is overly qualified for this great award and honor. The Ram Band would like to congratulate Mr. Stephens. It's about time!

MR. STEPHENS FEATURED IN "LEADER":
(4/14/10)

Just two days before he is set to receive national recognition at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Stephens has been featured in the Houston Leader.

Scans of the newspaper article can be found here
(Pt. 1 - Pt. 2), or on the Leader's website.

Once again, congratulations to Mr. Stephens on his great honor!

UIL RESULTS:
(4/9/10)

On Thursday, April 8, the Symphonic and Concert bands competed in the Region 23 UIL Concert/Sight-Reading Contest. The Symphonic band, under the direction of Mr. Stephens, received an overall 1st division on stage. The Concert band directed by Mr. Espinosa received an overall 2nd division on stage. Congratulations to both bands!

WALTRIP SELECTED AS "FIDELITY FUTURESTAGE ENSEMBLE":
(2/10/10)

On Tuesday the Ram Band had the honor of being a part of something monumental and beneficial that will impact the program for years to come. At the historic Jones Hall, the band was selected along with three other local schools (16 schools nationwide) to be one of Fidelity Investment's FutureStage Ensembles.

• instrument donations;
• field trips to Broadway theater and symphony performances;
• mentorship by industry professionals;
• celebrity visits; and
• opportunities to perform their own work on a professional stage.

Here are highlights of the ceremony from ABC 13 News:

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RAM BAND!

In recognition of Waltrip's 50th Anniversary, over 50 former members of the Waltrip Band converged on the Annual BBQ Dinner this past Friday to play, reminisce, show pride in the Ram Band, and give appreciation to Mr. Stephens for nearly 30 years of service. Led by countless former Drum Majors, the band performed songs that have been important to the history and success of the Ram Band. What started off as a one-time event turned into a new annual tradition by the end of the night.

THE RAM BAND MAKES A STATEMENT:
(10/26/09)

The Waltrip Ram Band competed in the UIL Area E Marching Contest on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at Waller Stadium in Waller, TX. The band gave their best performance ever on this day. They received exemplary ratings and finished as an Area finalist in 3rd place (1st Alternate to the UIL State Marching Contest).

No other band in the history of the Houston ISD has ever come this close to making it to the UIL State Marching Contest. Your band topped and fell short of schools that are in a more advantageous setting than our own, with better facilities, instruments, district support and all, but one other school (Sharpstown HS, HISD), have a true feeder band program. We are very proud of what these students have accomplished. They have gone against all odds on a consistent basis, but Saturday was proof that they really deserve to be considered among the best of the State of Texas.

It will be another two years before the band has an opportunity to advance in the UIL Marching Circuit, since they only allow 4A schools to advance every other year.

Thank you all for your support and all that you do for our RAM Band program!! The Ram Band will set its sights on continued success for the future.

WATCH THE PERFORMANCE