CHRISTIAN FARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY
CTJ 6th at Grand Nats, Wins Award
The Claudia Taylor Johnson Marching Band finished its 2019 season with its best-ever finish at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, scoring 93.25 in finals competition for sixth place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Grand Nationals trip was the band’s third. CTJ finished in eighth place in 2011 and ninth in 2016.
The band’s preliminary, semifinals and finals performances of its show “The Circle of Life,” were a huge crowd favorite and received multiple standing ovations during finals.
Additionally, CTJ was named the winner of the Bands of America Albert J. Castronovo Esprit de Corps Award, which was announced during retreat. The award recognizes the band that “most exhibits pride, spirit, enthusiasm, friendliness, camaraderie, and unity of purpose for the marching band activity.”
Johnson is the third Texas band to be named the Esprit de Corps winner, joining Marcus in 2013 and Stephen F. Austin in 2004. The award has been presented by BOA since 1978.
The 2019 Grand National champion, with a finals score of 97.125, Vandegrift, marking the first time “The Eagle” — BOA’s Grand National Championship trophy — has gone to a Texas school since The Woodlands in 2013. Avon (Ind.) was second, followed by Hebron.
All six bands in the #TeamTexas contingent, including Leander, Round Rock, and The Woodlands, made the 12-band finalist field. All six bands were also finalists at the BOA San Antonio Super Regional on November 2.
In 2019, Johnson recorded the fifth-highest score in program history (94.325 in Grand National preliminary performance), the seventh-highest score (94.100 in BOA San Antonio finals) and the eighth-highest score (94.025 in Grand Nats semifinals). The preliminary and semifinals scores in Indianapolis were good for fourth place in Class AAAA, one spot ahead of three-time defending Grand National champion Carmel (Ind.) in both sessions.
In October, CTJ was awarded its 12th
consecutive UIL Marching Division I Sweepstakes Award at the Region 12
event at Heroes Stadium.
CTJ’s finals performance at BOA Austin in September was given a score of 84.150, the band’s third-highest score in five trips to the Austin event.
Johnson’s third-place finish was also its 16th top-three placement in 23 BOA events since 2012.
18 at CTJ Make All-State Band
The Claudia Taylor Johnson Band had 18 members earn chairs in the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Band or All-State Jazz Band for 2018-19 — including eight who were first place in the room following Area E auditions and two who were first in state for jazz.
The total was the most ever for CTJ, with the previous high being eight.
The 16 making TMEA All-State Band for 2019 (an asterisk denotes first in the room):
Tracy Le, 12th grade — Eb Clarinet*
Jake Glaser, 9th grade — Bb Clarinet
Emily Edgar, 12th grade — Alto Clarinet*
Trevor Moss, 12th grade — Contrabass Clarinet*
Ian Compton, 12th grade — English Horn*
Parker Payne, 12th grade — Tenor Saxophone*
Hondo San Miguel, 10th grade — Baritone Saxophone*
Bruno Zuniga-Hernandez, 11th grade — Trumpet
Patrick Sanford, 12th grade — French Horn
Eli Canales, 11th grade — Tenor Trombone
Preston Payne, 10th grade — Tenor Trombone
Aiden Sutherland, 12th grade — Bass Trombone*
Tommy Brennan, 10th grade — Euphonium
Moses Roberts, 12th grade — Euphonium
Clayton Stuller, 12th grade — Tuba*
Joseph Lukowski, 12th grade — Tuba
TMEA All-State Jazz Band for 2019 (asterisk denotes first chair):
Isaac LaVigne, 12th grade — Drum Set*
Juan San Miguel, 11th grade — Alto Saxophone*
Both Juan and Isaac placed first in an
extraordinarily competitive
audition process. Only four alto saxophonists, and four drum set players
from the entire state advance to the TMEA All-State Jazz Bands — and CTJ’s two students placed first in the
process.
Isaac is also Johnson’s first band member to place in both the Concert percussion and Jazz drum set side of the process.
In November, a record 32 Claudia Taylor Johnson band members — including 13 who made first chair — advanced to the TMEA
All-Area Band.
Two weeks earlier during the first audition round, Johnson placed 50 band
members into the TMEA All-Region 12 Band, and another 19 students into
the TMEA All District Band. Ten CTJ band members hold first chairs in
the Region 12 band.
Since the school’s opening in 2008, CTJ has had 45 band members earn chairs in the TMEA All-State bands, gathering a total of 66 chairs over that
period.