Program Overview

The Mustang Band program is a thriving part of the growing community and school district. With a current enrollment of more than 1400 students in the sixth-twelfth grades, band students enjoy a wide variety of instrumental music opportunities and carry on traditions of excellence established by the generations of musicians that precede them. With over fifteen concert bands, an award-winning marching band, three jazz ensembles, four winterguards, and opportunities in chamber music and solo performance, the band program provides children from the community opportunities to express themselves and nurtures their personal growth by studying the arts in a creative and artistic environment.

Mustang Band students start their course of study in the sixth grade at Canyon Ridge, Horizon, and Meadow Brook Intermediate Schools. Beginners are grouped into homogeneous classes on the five primary instruments: flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. Beginners learn the basics of playing an instrument and study the basic notations and terminology of music. They enjoy field trips and fun events that build bonds of friendship that tie them together in love and support for the years to come. Sixth graders perform two concerts per year; participate in school performances and assemblies; and work together to learn about ensemble ethics of accountability, self-discipline, and responsibility. After one year of beginning band, students advance to middle school studies. 

At the middle schools, Mustang Band students are grouped into full band settings by skill level, with ensembles ranging from intermediate to advanced at all sites thereafter. Mustang’s existing middle school bands from Mustang Middle School and Mustang North Middle School will soon be complemented by the addition of Central Middle School, which is set to open in the 2019-2020 school year. Students at these three schools will perform in concerts and competitions, school sporting events and assemblies, regional honor bands, and solo and ensemble events. Mustang’s middle school band students enjoy competitive success and stimulating learning opportunities throughout seventh and eighth grade. Middle school students also attend an out-of-state contest at Six Flags Over Texas annually. The middle school bands’ rich histories of competitive success ensures that these students are prepared to advance to the high school level.

At Mustang High School (MHS), instrumental music students are exposed to a variety of musical opportunities that provide them with a wide array of skills and priorities. At the highest levels, dozens of students prepare auditions for college scholarships, regional and state-level honor band auditions, and for potential careers in the field of music. Students have the opportunity to participate in the many program elements that make Mustang High School’s band program unique and memorable. The state-of-the-art Mustang Marching Band is a select group of students who travel to compete locally, regionally, and nationally. The marching band has appeared twice in Finals at Bands of America National Events and is consistently a “Top 6” finalist in the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association state marching competition. MHS has numerous chamber ensembles, two jazz ensembles, and four winterguards all in addition to the five competitive concert bands that are the heart of our band program. The MHS concert bands have performed three times at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Music Convention and once at the prestigious Music for All National Concert Band Festival. Our premier group, the MHS Wind Ensemble, explores literature at the most demanding levels with students from that group frequently advancing to music major status at colleges and universities in Oklahoma and beyond.

In addition to the work of the staff and students, the program recognizes their parent organization as the foundation behind the band’s strengths and accomplishments. The Mustang Band Booster Club is comprised of hundreds of dedicated and talented parents who work rigorously toward a united goal: providing life-changing, musical experiences for their children. The Mustang Band program, with the assistance of the Band Booster Club, hosts the Nightrider Invitational Marching Competition each year along with several other competitions and festivals. 

The sounds created by the Mustang Bands reflect the energy of our flourishing district and community. With the support of a tremendous administration and enthusiastic community, the staff works diligently and continually to evolve the program so that it remains an elite experience in music education for all students.