This week, the Plymouth Community Schools administration and music staff were notified that the Indiana State School Music Association has recognized the Plymouth High School Band program with the state’s prestigious “All-Music Award.” This award is only presented to the music programs who successfully compete in every facet of the state’s competition programs. A music department must earn Gold Award ratings in marching band, jazz band, and concert band competitions as well as having students advance to the solo and ensemble state finals in both the solo and ensemble divisions.
Plymouth High School is one of only a very small number of schools in the state who have earned this award consecutively since the inception of the program. This year, the band program earned their fifteenth consecutive “All-Music Award” recognition from ISSMA. “It is a tremendous achievement for a music program to earn this award and our students take great pride in this accomplishment. But, to earn the award every single year for fifteen straight years is something that we are extremely proud of,” said PHS band director Bryan Ames. “Every year, when we start the school year, we talk about this award and what we need to do from start to finish during the year to make sure we are successful at everything we do. This takes the effort of every kid involved in the band to make sure we are always performing at our best.”
The walls in the band room at Plymouth High School are draped with the fourteen banners that have been earned in previous years. “Every year we take pride in adding a new banner to the wall. It is a great way to end the school year and celebrate a great year of hard work and success.” This year the high school marching band advanced to semi-state. The jazz ensemble earned a Gold Award and four “with distinction” awards for solosists. Both the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble earned Gold Awards in both their performance and in sight-reading at contest. In the winter, the band advanced over twenty entries to the ISSMA state finals for solo and ensemble contest.
Additionally, the Plymouth Winter Guard advanced to the IHSCGA semi-finals and the Winter Winds placed third at state finals and 6th in the nation. “This has been a great year for the band program and we are already looking forward to next school year,” said Ames.
Congratulations to the Plymouth High School Band on their continued success this year and for earning their fifteenth consecutive state award!
