The Woodlands High School Percussion Ensemble

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

Our four concert bands perform at the UIL Concert & Sight-reading contest each and every year and our awarded Superior ratings both in concert and in sight-reading for their performances. The Wind Ensemble has been a featured ensemble at Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic on two occasions; one in 2003 and the second in 2012. The ensemble has also been featured at the Western Band Clinic, Disneyland and Carnegie Hall. The Percussion Studio makes up between 30-40 musicians each year. They meet as a full section in the fall during marching season and break into four ensembles in the spring every year. Each spring, the Percussion section holds an ensemble concert showcasing all of its students. TWHS Percussion was a featured ensemble at the 2014 Percussive Arts Society international Clinic. The Guard program fields a Color Guard in the Fall for the marching band two separate Winter Guards in the Spring each year. The Winter Guard has become one of the leading programs in the state of Texas and across the United States. TWHS World Guard made Texas history and WGI history in the Spring of 2022, becoming the first ever World Class unit from Texas to ever medal at the Winter Guard International level of competition. The Woodlands High School Marching Band is a consistent UIL State Marching Contest Finalist and Bands of America Regional, Super Regional and Grand National Finalist. The band has made the UIL State finals at every appearance between 2010-2022 and has never missed a BOA Finals since it began competing in the circuit in 2000. In 2013, TWHS Band was named the Band of America Grand National Champion, and in 2022 they were the BOA North Houston Champions and also placed 2nd at BOA Super Regionals. TWHS Band is the proud recipient of both the John Philip Souse Sudler Flag and Sudler Shield, being named a Flag winner in 2004 and a Shield winner in both 2009 AND in 2018. The band program was also recently named a Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence Winner from the National Band Association in 2019, an award that recognized programs of distinction that display excellence in all aspects of the band program over a span of several consecutive years under consistent leadership.

The Woodlands High School Percussion Ensemble

Conductor's Bio

Andy Salmon is a 1998 graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education while studying with James Campbell. Mr. Salmon is in his 27th year as Percussion Director at The Woodlands High School and McCullough Junior High School. During his tenure at The Woodlands High School, the marching band has been a consistent Bands of America Grand National Finalist and was named the 2013 BOA Grand National Champion. The Woodlands band has been a consistent Texas UIL State Finalist. The Woodlands High School Percussion Ensemble was selected as the 2014 Percussive Arts Society “Call for Tapes” high school champion and performed at the 2014 PAS convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Woodlands High School Wind Ensemble has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic in 2003 and 2012, where he was featured on the xylophone and drum set. Mr. Salmon was a member of the 1992 Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and a front ensemble member of the 1995 DCI World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Salmon has been a clinician/conductor of the Tennessee All-State Percussion Ensemble at the 2018 PAS Tennessee Day of percussion, as well as the 2019 Kentucky All-State Percussion Ensemble at the Kentucky PAS Day of Percussion. Mr. Salmon has been a solo and ensemble clinician for many groups in the state of Texas. Mr. Salmon has music published by Tapspace Publications and is an educational endorser for Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth, Evans drum heads and the Yamaha Corporation.

Additional Directors

Carter Frederick

Aaron Stickley