As we shift focus from marching competition season, we wanted to take the chance to highlight accomplishments of the 2017-2018 McNeil Maverick Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony.Last year, the McNeil High School Wind Ensemble, conducted by Jason Dimiceli, submitted recordings of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine by John Philip Sousa, Angels in the Architecture by Frank Ticheli, and Capriccio Espagnol by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov into the TMEA Honor Band Process.  Every other year, we have an opportunity to compete against all other 6A Concert Bands in the state through this process which involves a Region Round, Area Round and State Round.  From both region and area, only 2 bands are chosen to advance, and at the state round - one “Honor Band” is chosen.The 2017-2018 McNeil Wind Ensemble advanced from Region to Area, and then from Area to the TMEA Honor Band 6A State Finals!  This is the first time in Round Rock ISD history a high school band has been a State Honor Band Finalist!  The students’ recordings went to the last round of competition on July 26 in San Antonio.  This State finals listening featured the top 16 6A Concert Bands in the State of Texas.Making it to the State round is an enormous honor for our program, and represents a great deal of talent, hard work, and drive on the part of our musicians!  We are so proud of you being recognized as one of the top 16 ensembles in the state of Texas for 2017-2018!We are fortunate, and very pleased, to have multiple award winning ensembles in the McNeil band program.  The McNeil High School Wind Symphony, conducted by Joshua Munoz, was named a Commended Winner in the Citation of Excellence by the Foundation for Music Education.  The Citation of Excellence is a competition for Texas non varsity high school & middle school bands.The Mark of Excellence consists of the National Wind Band Honors, National Choral Honors, National Orchestra Honors, National Jazz Honors, and National Percussion Ensemble Honors. It is a competition, entered by recordings, in which the top quarter are selected as National Winners and the second quarter receive Commended Honors. This year 279 of the finest musical ensembles in the nation entered the competition. The project has now received entries from thirty-eight states. All the groups receive recorded and written comments from the adjudicators, and also a compilation recording of the performances of the National Winners. These Round Rock ISD ensembles are wonderful examples of musical achievement and are a tremendous credit to the Round Rock ISD.Way to go, McNeil High School Bands!