Excerpts from a brief oral history of the Denton High School Bands
Presented by Carroll McMath, Director Emeritus, at the first band reunion, July 17, 1988
First known as “The Boys Band,” the band was organized in the fall of 1923 by a Mr. E. M. Woods.
In the fall of 1926 that late Floyd “Fessor” Graham came as the second director and stayed until the spring of 1929. At that time
Floyd moved to what is not the University of North Texas music department.
M.K. Sandifer was director in 1929-30, followed by Kenneth Hayes in 1930-31. In 1931, Johnny Lawhon, Sr., a North Texas
graduate and fine trombone player came and directed the band until 194.
Having graduated from Texas Tech in 1938, and with two years experience as band director in the Dust Bowl town of Texhoma,
OK, I arrived in Denton in July 1940 to become band director. When I cam in the spring to apply for the job I had to personally
interview all seven school board members—and I still got the job. While here I went up to examine the old band hall on Mounts
St. That was a thrill!! It sat just south of where the new Dan McAlister Gymnasium is located. This “magnificent” structure had
recently been constructed by the W.P.A., a drepression era federal work program, with material from the old Sam Houston school
building. The northwest corner of the building collapsed almost by the time the band moved in and had to be rebuilt. Later we
were forced to use long steel rods to hold the walls together.
In my first year I was a “part time” employee, teaching three classes and doing concerts, parades, football games—etc.—for the
big sum of $50 a month. I had 28 in the beginner band, 14 in the intermediate band and 47 in the advanced band. Using bake
sales on the courthouse square, the sale of Band Booster Tags and many other mickle and dime fund raisers, the Ban Boosters
had money to purchase new uniforms. Our new uniforms consisted of gold single breasted coats, trouser, and military hats and
white Sam Brown belts. For the uninformed—they actually were two belts—one 2” waist belt, with a one inch shoulder belt,
connected to the saist belt in front and back. In those days that belt was a MARK OF DISTINCTION.
Our school instruments consisted of one Sousaphone, 2 Eb “rain-catcher” tubas, 2 mellophones, 1 baritone, maybe 1 tenor sax
and several WELL USED DRUMS.
For the 1941-42 school year I became a full time teacher, adding one Junior High history class to my band classes. The high point
of the history class came on Dec. 8, 1941, when Principal Dan McAlister, whose office adjoined my classroom, opened his door
and turned up the volume on the radio so that we could hear President Roosevelt and the U.S. Congress declare war on Japan.
During the summer of 1942 I could see Uncle Sam's long finger pointing straighter at me all of the time, so I accepted an opening
in the U.S. Navy Band program. I taught one week in September then left for Navy boot camp.
There is confusion about the order of directors for the next two year, as no personnel records can be found.
In November 1945 I finished my hitch in the Navy and took the band job in Hereford, Texas, where Chester Strickland was the
superintendent of schools. In 1946 Mr. Strickland was elected superintendent of Denton Public Schools and he offered me the
opportunity of coming back to Denton.
The first two or three years after World War II were very difficult for school bands because of the lack of new equipment.
Raymond Wheeler even ran a series of ads in the paper requesting help in locating used instruments.
During the laste 1940s we branched out and started fifth grade band classes meeting at Lee, Houston and Jackson, Denton's
three elementary schools. These classes were taught by college student teachers, many of whom went on to become outstanding
band directors. I did not have any paid help until 1956.
In 1948, still being short on bodies for the marching band, we began using 7 th , 8 th and 9 th graders in the high school band.
Several students spent six years in the Bronco Band. As the band grew, we began to cut back, so that by 1956 when we
established a separate junior high program, only grades 10, 11 and 12 were used in high school..
On a very stormy night in the spring of 1949, several uniform company representatives met in the band hall to show their wares.
So much rain poured in around the windows that we all had to gather in the middle of the room to avoid the water. This time we
got double breasted coats, but stayed with the gold color.
In 1949 the University Interscholastic League assumed control of the contests that had been sponsored by the Texas Music
Educators Association. During the next 29 years the Denton bands would receive a total of 70 First Division UIL ratings.
In 1950 we made the first of six trips (once every three years) to the Tri-State Band Festival in Enid, Oklahoma. At that time this
was the largest band festival in the United States, with more than 10,000 participants in marching, parade competition, concert,
sight reading, solos and ensembles, and a select massed band of about 500. We entered everything.
In the 50's we began meeting in July for one week of marching and concert rehearsal, culminating with a concert at the band
shell in Denton City Park. The shell, located south-east of the present library, was like an oven on summer evenings, and we
could always count on at least one freight train during a soft passage of every concert.
We worked hard, but we also had many social events. The band banquets date back to th early 1940's. For many years we had
swimming parties and picnics in the spring, and even had a steak cook out with Superintendent Strickland as chef.
In the summer of 1957 we moved into the new Denton High School with its spacious air conditioned band room, practice and
storage rooms and office space. Little did we dream that we would completely fill that space.
After 10 years of very hard use, our uniforms were ready for retirement, so in 1959 we purchased new black uniforms, trimmed in
purple, gold and white.
I finally got an assistant director in 1968—Norman McDaniel, who was with me one year. In 1969 we divided the band into
Symphonic and Concert Bands, with Lloyd Cook directing the first concert band.
Through the years we had the privilege of playing for many famous people. Texas governors Price Daniel and John Connally, U.S.
Senators Ralph Yarbrough and John Tower and Warren Beaty and other stars of the movie “Bonnie and Clyde” were serenaded by
the Bronco Band. We welcomed Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson to Denton High School. We honored Denton's two Miss Americas
with performances—our cheer leader Phyllis George and our fine flute player Shirley Cothran.
We suffered through the heat of September 22, 1973 to assist in the dedication of D.F.W. International Airport, nearly burning up
in our new purple and white uniforms.
We felt that the band program had to be flexible to meet changing times and tastes. For example, the 1960's saw the emergence
of the hight school drill team. It was a little hard to admit that we needed to share a few minutes of our half-time with a drill
team, but we all decided that we not only would have a drill team, but we would have the best. I am pleaed to say that the Fillies
soon became very good, and in 1988 they are one of the top drill teams in the state.
We participated in six of the early Cotton Bowl Parades in Dallas and were one of the half-time bands at a Cotton Bowl Game.
About 1967, Norman Lang, our Denton Junior High Director, organized our first stage band to give our band members a chance
to perform in the jazz idiom. Under his direction, and then under Jim Van Zandt and Jerry Gowler our stage band compiled an
outstanding record..
Following my retirement in 1977, the band was directed by Arthur Barnard for one year and David Pennington for one year. Don
Hanna came from Ft. Stockton as director in 1979. They now have a string of ten straight Sweepstakes Awards, bringing the total
to 25. Wearing their beautiful new white uniforms, they have advanced to the State Marching Contest for the last six years,
placing 8 th for two years, 6 th for two years, and the last two years they have made the finals, being rated one of the five best
marching bands in Texas.
The history of the Denton High School Band resembles a miniature of the development of the school band program in the United
States. We have seen great strides in concert bands to the point that the performances of the Denton High Band are comparable
to that of college bands. We have seen half-time marching shows change from picture formations shows carrying out a theme
(with six or eight different shows each fall)—to cap lighted shows—to block band drills—to company front drills—to every
imaginable geometric design, including moving diamonds and circles—to the current corps style concept, with its well polished
linear drills and all sound centered directly at the audience.