The rise of the Conroe Tiger Band is one of legend. These three simple but powerful words still evoke much emotion 93 years later in this legendary community named for its founding father; an East Texas Timber businessman named Issac Conroe.
The Conroe Tiger Band, known as the Conroe Band in the early days, is recorded as being at football games, performing in parades and performing concerts as far back as 1929.
Throughout its history, the CHS Band has been hailed as one of the state’s finest and according to band alumni, was the first high school band in Texas to use football field yard lines to actually measure “step size” when performing (1940’s).
1920's
This great story began in the late 1920’s. In the 1920’s ( through mid 1950’s), Conroe High School was home to a great and amazing “dance orchestra.” The orchestra instrumentation was composed of violins, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, guitars, mandolins, accordions, percussion, piano, clarinets, and vocalists. This orchestra was in great demand as it performed regularly at Sam Houston State University social events and just about every Montgomery County event or celebration in addition to its own school concerts. Two orchestra trumpet players cultivated an interest in creating a school band and the Conroe Band was born.
Starting small but taking its cue from its dance orchestra roots, the band quickly became known as “the” band to be with and work with during a college student’s career as a private lesson teacher, “classroom observer” or while refining teaching skills through the “student teacher” programs at universities from around the state. Through the years, the Conroe Band, in partnership with several major universities, has helped to create some of the state’s and nation’s finest instrumental music teachers and this tradition still continues today.
1930's
The band’s early years were filled with many performances as well as the football games. Throughout the 1930’s, the band traveled with the football team, “yell” leaders and spirit squad by train to all of the out of town football games. They traveled by train because the roads were very unreliable at the time.
1940's
Organized Texas State band competitions would not come on the scene until 1947 so the Conroe Band participated in various band festivals including creating and hosting its own festival by partnering with the City of Conroe Chamber of Commerce in 1946 registering 21 school bands with a total of 1245 students. It was called the Southeast Texas Band Festival. This was to develop into the largest band festival in the United States during the 1940’s and 1950’s and by its final year in 1956, the festival hosted 4,500 students from 54 bands and 25 choirs in a one day competition with the finale being an all marching band parade winding its way around Downtown Conroe.
The band performed at many Harris (Houston) and Montgomery County events. The band came into its own in the 1940’s and became known as the “Famous” Conroe Band as it was in high demand for local parades, county fairs, university special events such as football games, dances and homecoming celebrations and festivals from all over the state even playing a concert in Mexico! As the band grew in both size and reputation, the band created a contest winning streak that would not be broken until the late 1970’s.
EARLY ACHIEVEMENTS
The Conroe Tiger Band is one of only a few Texas High School bands that has marched every style throughout the history and evolution of our nation’s “band movement.” The Conroe Tiger Band was one of the first Texas bands to march “parade” style on the football field, form letters on a football field and is known as the first Texas High School Band to utilize football field yard lines to accurately measure a band’s step size while performing. The band was one of the first to form geometric figures, pictures and symbols on the field and also marched in the military and “East Texas Block” military styles. As the band evolution progressed, the band transformed itself into a “show” band (“Big 10” high knee lift style squads of 4) and was one of the first to evolve into what is known as the contemporary-free form style of the bands of today.
After WW II, the Conroe Tiger Band began participating in the state’s organized music competition with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) in 1947. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) was organized in 1910 by the University of Texas in an effort to help organize the state’s many, many school competitions and events. The Conroe ISD joined the University Interscholastic League in 1925 which opened the door for the band to be one of the state’s inaugural UIL competition bands. The UIL adapted music as part of its competition component in 1947. The Conroe Band entered UIL competition that very first year and, not only earned a first division in marching but, promptly earned the UIL’s “Special” Award. The UIL “Special” Award was UIL’s “Sweepstakes” Award at the beginning of UIL band contests in 1947 for 1st divisions awarded in marching, concert and sight-reading. Because of this, the Conroe Band has the distinct honor of being one of UIL’s very first 1st division bands and sweepstakes bands in the State of Texas.
From our nation’s East Coast to West Coast, the Conroe Tiger Band has performed on national and world-wide television, at pro football game half-times and pre-games and special invitational performances such as the Tournament of Roses Parade, Texas dignitary events and United States Presidential events. The band has been invited to perform at the Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Outback Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Alamo Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The band has earned over 3000 honors, citations and awards during its 91 year legendary history including:
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Texas State Fair in Dallas performance
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Mexico Performance
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Astros National Anthem Pre-Game Performance
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Cotton Bowl performance
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Southeast Texas Band Festival 1st divisions (11 in a row)
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Tri-State Band Festival champion
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Bands of America Top 10 Regional Finalist (6 times)
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UIL Sweepstakes Awards (many times)
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UIL 1st Division Awards (many in every decade since 1947)
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Regional band festival 1st place, Best In Class and championships (44 times)
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Named Grand Champion Band in both marching and concert competitions, several times
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New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade performance (1985)
CURRENT ACHIEVEMENTS
The Conroe Tiger Band has become known as Montgomery County’s good will ambassador performing for many state dignitary visits and is still in great demand. The CTB has a long rich and legendary past but the CTB continues to evolve building upon it’s past even today. Since 2002, the Conroe Tiger Band has won or secured:
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20 UIL marching band 1st divisions
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18 UIL Sweepstakes
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2 Best in Class Runner-Up Titles
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Commendation from United States President George H W Bush
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4 Best in Class Concert Band Titles
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2 Overall Grand Champion Titles, San Antonio and Dallas
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2 National Winner Mark of Excellence Concert Band Recording Competition Awards
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UIL Area Marching Contest Qualification (every year of qualification since 2002)
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Best Parade Band at the Disney Land Night of Stars Parade
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Tournament of Roses Parade Performance in Pasadena, California (2010)
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2 color guard Texas State Championships, Scholastic Division
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1 Drum Line Texas State Championship, Scholastic Marching
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Texas State Senate Proclamation (2010)
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Texas House of Representatives Resolution (2010)
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San Antonio Fiesta Flambeau Parade performance
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Houston Livestock and Show Rodeo Parade band champion and runner-up Awards
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Bands of America Music For All Indianapolis Festival Performance (Nation’s Top 20 bands)
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Commended Winner of the 2022 Mark of Excellence Wind Band Project
Because of it's leadership in the educational field, the band continues to be hailed as one of the premier organizations of Montgomery County and, arguably, the Greater Houston Area, Texas, and America.