Music at Wylie High School
The Wylie Independent School District has enjoyed a long history of community support and success. The Wylie High School Band serves 320 students in the program, which include five Concert Bands, Jazz Ensembles, various Percussion Ensembles, Drum Line, Color Guard, Winter Guard, Chamber Ensembles, Marching Band, and Advanced Placement Music Theory. Many of the band members study privately with some of the finest teachers and professional musicians in the Dallas area. Students in the Wylie Band program audition and are consistently selected to the region, area, and all-state bands each year in Texas. In addition, students also participate in Solo and Ensemble contests each spring.
Students in the band program at Wylie High School began band instruction in the sixth grade at Davis or Draper Intermediate Schools where they learn the fundamentals of tone production, instrumental technique and music theory. Classes in the sixth grade are homogeneous and meet on a daily basis so students are well prepared for placement in ability-based band classes in the seventh and eighth grade levels at Cooper and McMillan Junior Highs. The success of the high school band is due in large part to the excellent instruction received in grades six through eight. Superintendent of Schools is Dr. David Vinson, Director of Fine Arts for Wylie ISD is Mr. Glenn Lambert. Head director at Wylie High School is Todd Dixon. Associate directors at Wylie High School are Mark Schroeder, Stephen Lisko, and Alex Holloway. The Fine Arts Department administrative assistant is Mrs. Verna Stone.
Mark Finley
