Southwest Dekalb High School Bands

"The Best Band In The Land"

SWD Panther Band History

The Southwest Dekalb High School Band Program has established a tradition of excellence and quality in musical performance. Hailing from Decatur, GA, with a current membership of 230-plus students, the program offers many performance options. Along with the marching band, there are two symphonic large ensembles, the SWD Wind Symphony and the SWD Symphonic Band (both performing leve VI literature). There are also two concert bands, a jazz ensemble, and various small instrumental ensembles. The Georgia Music Educators Association has rated the bands and ensembles superior in performance for ninteen consecutive years. Students in the band program consistently place high and in large numbers in the District IV Honor Bands. About 20% of honor band participants yearly are from the Southwest Dekalb High School Band Program. We are also represented at the GMEA All-State Bands, and the Georgia Governor's Honors Program.

The Southwest Dekalb High School Wind Symphony is the top group of our four concert bands. The Wind Symphony is a vehicle for exposing our strongest musicians to the most challenging and significant works of the wind band repertoire. This group performed at the 1996 and 1976 GMEA Annual Inservice Conference. In spring 2009, the Southwest Dekalb HS Wind Symphony  performed at the Music For All/ Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. This annual event features the country’s finest concert ensembles which are selected by tape audition.


Ranking high among the many proud traditions of Southwest Dekalb High School is the highly acclaimed Marching Panther Band. The marching band is recognized for its perfection in musicianship, precision in marching, and innovative, high-energy perfromances. The key to the success of "The Best Band in the Land" is its commitment to artistic excellence, discipline and hard work. The SWD Band has performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, the Carnival of Flowers in Nice, France, performed for two United States President, and for the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. In the Fall of 2002, the SWD Band was featured as an exhibition band at the Bands of America Grand National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. Along with many local parades and events, the SWD Bands has also performed for numerous Atlanta Falcons Halftime Shows, as well for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies Basketball Team. Recently the SWD Band was prominently featured in the 20th Century Fox movie "Drumline". The movie featured the band students as members of the fictional hero college band (Atlanta A&T University) in both music and field drill situations. Recently the Southwest Dekalb marching Panther Band traveled to California to participate in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The band has again been invited and will return to Pasadena for the 2011 Rose Parade.  Music and band is a vital part of the total school and community culture.

 

                       SWD Band Mission Statement 

Working hard is most essential. Through that, it is our mission to increase confidence, self discipline, organization and individual performance as we hold ourselves accountable to rise above the expected while cultivating a positive environment that fosters a life-long love of Music. As merit of our hard work in rehearsals, performances and in the classroom, we will seek and participate in the best and most educationally enriching band events the nation has to offer.

 

SWD Band Achievements

201o - SWD Wind Symphony selected as a feature performing ensemble for the 2011 University of Georgia JanFest (January High School Band Festival)

2010 - Recorded third marching band cd (to be released August 2010)

2009 - Recorded track for Mariah Carey's new CD released in fall 2009

2009 - Selected to perform in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California

2009- SWD Wind Symphony performed at the HBCU Band Directors Consortium in Atlanta, GA

2009- SWD Wind Symphony performed at Music For All/ Bands Of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, IN


2008- Featured in Our Own reality television series titled: "DRUMROLL:SWD"

2006-  Perform in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasedena, California

2002- Featured in 20th Century Fox's "Drumline"

2002- The First high school band in history featured in exhibition performance at the Bands of America National Championship(Indianapolis, Indiana)

2002- Invited to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa

2001- Performed for President George W. Bush

2000 - Recorded and released second marching band cd

1997- First African-American High School Band to ever perform in the Macy's Parade (New York City)

1997- Performed in Nice, France
        Carnival of Flowers National Celebration

1996 - Recorded & released first marching band cd

1996- The ONLY band in America to perform in the Opening Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games

1996 & 1976- SWD Symphonic Band performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Savannah, GA