Tomball Cougar Pride Band

The Tomball Cougar Pride Band is stationed in Tomball, Texas and is an organization within Tomball High School. With 230 members, it is one of the largest programs in the school district. Its current directors are Jeff Downey, Andrew Easton, Chris King (Percussion) and Heather Brown (Color Guard). [www.tcpband.com] It is a fully instrumented marching band and concert band. Every year it creates a new show and performs it at the varsity football games and takes it to many competions, such as the University Interscholastic League (UIL), Bands of America(BOA) and the Sam Houston State University Invitational Marching Contest.

Mission Statement

The TCP is a course for 9th through l2th graders who have progressed from Junior High Band to High School Band. The band is a fully instrumented group that represents the school and community. Membership is subject to director approval. Students must be academically eligible to perform in any extra‑curricular activity.

The Tomball Cougar Pride Band has a strong history of outstanding musicianship and citizenship among its members. Tomball Cougar Pride is synonymous with quality. It is necessary for each member to make a commitment to excellence in order to maintain the reputation that the group has earned.

The primary objective of music in education is to develop musically sensitive, intelligent adults who fully appreciate the significant contribution that music and the skills in citizenship that accompany musical training can make to the individual and ultimately to the community. [ [http://www.tcpband.com/Misson%20Statement.htm New Page 1 ] ]

Awards

Commonly known as the TCP Band, it has won many prestigious awards in 2007 and 2008. Including

2007/2008 Awards [www.tcpband.com] Katy ISD Marching Festival

First Division Superior Rating

Best Color Guard

Best Percussion

Best Drum Majors

Best in Class (1st Place)

Blinn Buccaneer Marching Festival

Best Color Guard

Best Percussion

Best Drum Majors

1st Place in Class

Region IX Marching Contest

1 = Superior Rating

TCGC Cy-Springs Contest, Varsity Wintergaurd3rd Place

TCGC Oak Ridge Show, Varsity Guard1st Place

Shows

2008: Form, Texture and Style: A Concerto for Marching Band by Dwayne Rice [http://www.dwaynerice.com]

The 2007 Show was entitled "Square One" "We have had an original marching band composition written for us. Our composer [Dwayne Rice] is collaborating with a professional drill writer, and the THS Band Staff to create an entire production for our show. The show, entitled Square One, is all about…well…squares. The first movement, Squared, is based on intervals of square numbers. The second movement, Square Root / Square Dance, begins with a techno feel, goes into a square dance, and finally overlaps the two. Movement three, Square…Not!, is the contrasting section of the show. The drill will be much more curvilinear to match the music. The closer, Cubed, brings the whole show together. It will end exactly like the show began, taking us back to “square one”. The music has been written to leave room for several visuals, body movements, and creative drill moves. The visual portion of the show, the drill and color guard, will also work in a similar way to form the total package of our production."-Andrew Easton [ [http://www.tcpband.com/2006%20Theme.htm New Page 1 ] ]

Past shows have included:

2006: "The Heist", Written by Dwayne Rice

2005: "Pandora's Box" By Key Poulon

2004: "Billy the Kid" by Aaron Copland

2003: "Armenian Dances" by Alfred Reed

2002: "American Faces" by David. R. Holsinger

2001: "The Divine Comedy" By Robert W. Smith

2000: "The Legend of Alcobaca" by Jim Sochinski

1999: "Beyond the Horizons: The Music of Star Trek", music by Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, and Dennis McCarthy

1998: "To Tame the Perilous Skies" by David R. Holsinger

1997: "Newsies", music by Alan Menken

1996: "The Gayane Ballet" by Aram Khachaturian

1995: "In the Spring, at the Time When Kings Go Off to War" by David R. Holsinger

Square One

Can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZO8OlDsqNE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpPUGWl1tEs

Current Directors

Jeff Downey

Jeff Downey is the head director of the band. He is very constructive and holds the respect of his students by providing a program that helps them learn and grown in a safe environment before graduating. He is a graduate of Oklahoma University.

Andrew Easton

Andrew Easton, a graduate of Texas Tech University, came to the program in 2005 and has brought the band constructive and powerful training that has let them to succeed in many contests and activities. His commonly used phrase of "Find Your Brain", is used though out the band and had become a historic line that connects the students throughout the years.

Chris King

Chris King is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and is the percussion director. He has composed several pieces for percussion and is one of the leaders of "Percussion One". He is also a member of the Bull Pen Pep Band of the Houston Texans

Heather Brown

Heather Brown took over the colorguard program in Nov. 2006. She graduated from the University of Miami and attended Andrews high school in Andrews, TX. She has worked with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, Austin Stars and several area programs.

References