The flags are flying higher than ever—and there are more of them—in the booming Lehman High School Band Color Guard, led by Associate Band Director Johnnie Green. (Photo by Jim Cullen)
by JIM CULLEN
Catch the Lehman High School Color Guard in action this fall at Lobo football games and the undeniable changes are going to be dramatic. Amped up energy will be helping power a squad doubled in size and eagerly eyeing competition on a regional, state and even national level. As in most such sudden turnarounds, there’s a readily identifiable source for the newfound inspiration. Since this time last year, that source has been Lehman High School Band Associate Director Johnnie Green.
The start of summer marching practice puts Texas high school bands, including the always high-flying groups at Lehman and Hays High, on the field (actually, pavement, locally) in grueling heat. The fierce commitment seen in local band students rivals that of any athlete and, as with coaches, band directors play a critical role in developing that commitment. The storied band programs of Joey Lucita at Lehman and Tony Gibbs at Hays continue to reap the spoils of that commitment. Charged by Lucita with directing the Lobos’ first week on-field practice sessions, Green makes it amply clear he knows his way around a band’s marching program.
The Lehman Color Guard draws its talent from across its campus, although, Green explains, “Color Guard students are considered band students. In fact, in many competitive programs around the country, Color Guard students come directly from the winds and percussion. At Lehman, we have several students who do ‘double duty’ as wind players and Color Guard members.”
He is emphatic about the formula he employs. “It’s actually a fundamental part of our success and of our future that all members of the band program have the sense of ‘family’ and that they are all part of a hugely successful, well-oiled machine, so to speak. The Color Guard’s role is to be the most ‘visible and visual’ part of the Lehman Band. We support the band, school and community through our performances with the Marching Band in the fall, then the Winter Guard in the spring on increasing levels of competition.”
That competition in Green’s first season with the Lobos proved what an experienced and inspirational leader could do with great students and high goals. The array of trophies and group honors from Winter Guard competition has already been chronicled in these pages and the promise of more to come is in the air. What he found of the program when he arrived last year was a group that “just appeared to be a ‘diamond in the rough,’ and it just needed the right direction.”
That direction was – and continues to be – provided by a seasoned professional with a long record of success. It’s a common denominator among all of the Music Department staffers at Hays CISD and the Lobo Color Guard’s leader has his own briefcase full of credentials. He arrived here from Akins High in Austin, where his Color Guard was the 2010 Winter Guard International (WGI) Austin Regional Champion. Prior to Akins, he was with Judson ISD, serving as Visual Coordinator/Color Guard Director and brass specialist. While he was there the Judson High School Band set a high measure of success (he is quick to identify and credit the directors under whom he served) and his Color Guard was a consistent WGI regional finalist. A Illinois native, Green’s ability on the trumpet was recognized early, earning him a visit to the stage of Carnegie Hall. He later performed as principal trumpet for the first Bands of America Concert Band, then studied at Illinois State and Northern Kentucky Universities. He performed with the nationally-recognized Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, helping win the Drum Corps International World Championship and Individual and Ensemble World Championships on two separate occasions.
Today, though, as with all teachers, Green says it is all about the students. There is excitement in the air about the Lobo Color Guard and its future, with only six of the current 24 members due to graduate in the next two years. Last year’s memorable state showing earned the group the right to compete at a national level this year. A middle school Color Guard program is in the planning stages for later this year. The thrills of another year of competition are just around the corner and one more facet of the Hays CISD Music Program is playing its role in keeping a tradition of excellence rolling.
