IHS band won second place at the Plano East Marching Invitational and third place at the “Classic on the Lake” contest in Little Elm.

These recent accomplishments spotlight the band’s ongoing goal: to perform better than ever before, which they feel they are on track to achieving.

“The students feel optimistic about the direction and state of the program, so they’ve been working very hard,” said Daniel King, IHS head band director. “There’s a really positive energy and vibe to what’s going on with the program and what’s to come.”

In order to increase their success, the band must work harder as a whole.

“There’s a lot of moving pieces when it comes to performances. If you think about it, there are over 130 kids that all have different drills, instruments, and music,” said King. “Everyone is performing their own show in that way, so we want to continue to practice and improve so we can eventually build to our best possible performance.”

This will not be an easy feat for the band, so students have to step up and support one another.

“A lot of what we do is keeping up morale and making sure everyone is feeling and playing at their best in their role,” said Amelia Friedman, senior and head drum major.

Little things can make a big difference when uplifting morale.

“Just holding the door, greeting people with a wave and smiling, and being there for everyone in their time of need is a big part of it,” said Friedman. “We all have to be at our best if we want to succeed.”

Along with small gestures, the recent victories have also improved team spirit.

“The first contest was absolutely history-changing for the band… It was the first time we had made finals since 2019,” said Khammamkar. “My hope for that band is that we take this and improve even more now that we’ve made a name for ourselves outside of Dallas.”

Many band members attribute their successes to King.

“He is always looking to motivate us and never settles for anything less than our best, never just enough,” said Khammamkar.

Band leaders attribute their successes to their relationships with other students. 

“Without the connections I’ve made in band, I don’t think I would have made it as far as I have,” said Ethan Hylton, a senior leader in band. “The friendships are about as vital as the music itself.” 

Hylton also spoke about the profound emotions performing music can evoke.

“When I first started playing, I never practiced. It was just a class to me,” said Hylton. “Then I found my passion for it, how music speaks to the soul and makes you feel things nothing else could. I want to share that with people, and I think the band is doing that.”