05/11/2026
A little over one year ago today, I stood in front of the Heritage Middle School Band and their parents and proudly said, for the very first time, “I’m a Memorial Band Booster.”
It meant something then.
It means even more now.
Saturday night at the Band Banquet, we shared a special lapel pin we had commissioned with our district administration, directors, and band students that had the Panther Band logo and said: “The Alphas.”
It carried a double meaning: the first (think Greek), and leadership.
This inaugural year has been about more than simply starting a new band program. It has been about building something from nothing, creating traditions where none existed before, setting a standard, and laying a foundation for every student who will wear a Memorial band uniform in the years ahead.
And in their very first marching season, this group came unbelievably close to qualifying for the State Marching Contest. For a first-year program made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores, that would have been monumental.
Programs spend years, sometimes decades, building toward that level of success, and this young group was already right there in the conversation from day one. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of extraordinary students, dedicated directors, supportive families (that’s you!), and a culture that’s already becoming something special.
These students chose to lead the way. They embraced the pressure and responsibility of being “the first.” Because of that, they will always be the group future Panthers look back on as the ones who started it all.
I challenged them Saturday night to continue being leaders, not only in band, but throughout the school and community. What they’ve built this year matters, and now they have the opportunity to protect it, grow it, and pass it on.
As I stood in front of the MHS Panther Band Saturday night, I couldn’t help but feel proud, grateful, and honestly a little in awe of everything they’ve accomplished in such a short time.
The future is incredibly bright for this program, and I truly believe this is only the beginning.
-Matt 💙🩵🐾🎶
