Spotlight

Check out the latest news from our band program!

HMS Band Students Earn TMEA All-Region Honors

Three HMS Band students competed in the 2025-2026 TMEA Region 26 All-Region MS Band Auditions on Saturday, November 8th. Flute players Sariah Loggins and Emily Finlayson, and trumpet player Jordan Martinez advanced to this round after performing at an exceptional level at the TMEA All-District Band Auditions on November 1st.

Two students, Emily Finalyson and Jordan Martinez, placed high enough in this second round to earn positions in the TMEA All-Region Concert Band and will represent HMS in the annual clinic and concert in December at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center . Over 1100 students began the audition process, and Emily and Jordan are in the top 250 student musicians who were selected to the All-Region Band, a noteworthy accomplishment.

We are so proud of all three of these students for their hard work, commitment to this challenging repertoire and process, and their initiative in engaging with this music on their own. They certainly have embodied our band's motto: ENGAGE-EXCEL-ELEVATE!

HMS Band Students Earn TMEA All-District Honors

Ten students from our band program competed in the TMEA All-District Middle School Band auditions at Cedar Valley Middle School in Round Rock on Saturday, November 1, 2025. These students spent the past 12 weeks learning high school level etudes and a number of scales for this competition. Almost 400 students from the northern Austin metropolitan area participated in this event, and from there, approximately 120 students earned All-District honors. The HMS Band program is proud to say that three Hippo Band members qualified for the All-District Band, and they also placed high enough to advance to the All-Region Band audition round at Walsh Middle School in Round Rock on Saturday, November 8th.

The three students who earned All-District recognition are Emily Finlayson (flute), Sariah Loggins (flute), and Jordan Martinez (trumpet). We are so proud of all of our bandies who made the commitment to participate in this competition and then set to honoring that commitment by learning this music at the highest level. Hard work is always something worth celebrating, and we know that a positive work ethic strongly aligns with our motto: ENGAGE - EXCEL - ELEVATE!

Hutto ISD honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from NAMM for 2025

Hutto ISD has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for their outstanding support and commitment to music education. Now in its 26th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.

Two awards are given each year: Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) for school districts and the SupportMusic Merit Award (SMMA) for individual school sites. Both reach K-12 schools and districts throughout the U.S. and offer opportunities to increase awareness and support for music programs. Over 1,000 districts and individual school sites (public, private, charter, parochial) were recognized for having the highest commitment to producing exceptional music programs.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, [District] answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by the leading arts educational research firm, WolfBrown.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry. The foundation works to remove systemic barriers that limit access to music-making and career pathways in the music industry. By investing in bold ideas and innovative solutions, we strive to build inclusive and thriving musical communities. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

HMS Wind Ensemble Brings Home UIL Sweepstakes Award

The Hutto Middle School Wind Ensemble, directed by Mrs. Jo Ann Champion, earned top honors at the 2025 UIL Region 26 Concert and Sightreading Evaluation at Pflugerville High School on April 3rd. The Wind Ensemble prepared a challenging program and performed for a panel of three judges who critiqued their performance against a standardized rubric. The group then completed the Sight Reading portion of the evaluation process, having seven minutes to prepare a piece they had not seen nor rehearsed before, then performing for a different panel of judges. All six judges (both stage and sight reading) awarded the students a Superior rating, resulting in the ensemble bringing home a coveted UIL Sweepstakes distinction. This is the 11th UIL Sweepstakes for the Hutto Middle School Wind Ensemble, and we hope that legacy of excellence continues to grow!

HMS Symphonic Band earns UIL distinction

The Hutto MS Symphonic Band, directed by Mr. Brent Acuff, gave an exciting performance at the 2025 UIL Region 26 Concert and Sightreading Evaluation, held April 3rd at Pflugerville High School. The ensemble performed three selections for a panel of judges and were rewarded with an Excellent rating for their concert performance. The group then completed the Sight Reading portion of the annual evaluation, in which they had 8 minutes to prepare a song that was completely new to all of them, then perform it for a different panel of judges who evaluated their performance against the same rubric. We are so proud to say that our Symphonic Band earned a top marks for this assessment, bringing home a plaque for Superior distinction in Sight Reading.

HMS Winter Band Concert Features Inaugural Performance of the HMS Alumni Band

Music, pride and family are the foundation of the HMS Band Program, and this December, we were fortunate to celebrate all three at our annual Winter Concert. Our Beginning Band offered an "Informance," where they demonstrated to their parents the different parts of what they do in a regular class period. The group finished their performance with a full arrangement of "Jingle Bells," part of a medley entitled "A Christmas Gift," arranged by composer Randall Standridge. The Symphonic Band offered two selections, "Blizzard's Fury" and the timeless classic, "Sleigh Ride," to the delight of the audience. The newly formed HMS Jazz Ensemble, which rehearses twice a week during Enrichment, performed their first jazz piece, "Jumping Jellybeans," even featuring student soloists! The HMS Wind Ensemble presented "The Christmas Truce of 1914," a piece portraying a historic WWI event that highlights goodwill amongst all humans, even during the trying times of war. Perhaps the highlight of the evening, however, was the massed band finale that featured dozens of former Hutto Middle School Band members, returning to complete the "Santa the Barbarian" saga that many of them fell in love with over the past 4 years.

The initial work, "Santa the Barbarian," featured Santa as a less gentle character than the one children grow up with today. With a belief that winter should last eternally so that all thoughts would be about him, the story caught the attention of the HMS Band students who performed it in 2021. Each subsequent work developed the character of Santa more, and brought a new conflict. This fourth installment, "Son of Santa the Barbarian," is the final chapter in the series, and the HMS Band Staff thought that bringing back the students who had opportunity to perform those previous three works was the best way to conclude the series. And so, the idea of forming an HMS Alumni Band was born. Former students who were split to the new middle school in town, students at Hutto High School, students returning home from college, and those who had finished college made themselves available to contribute. For some, it had the potential to be the only opportunity they would have to play in a band with their younger siblings. Understandably, this was a very special event.

Mr. Acuff and Mrs. Champion, HMS Band Directors, hope to continue this alumni gathering for years to come. With next year being the 20th anniversary of the opening of the HMS campus on Exchange Blvd., there will definitely be something to celebrate!

HMS Band Student Selected to the 2024 TMEA All-Region Band

8th grade HMS Band tuba student, David Johnston was selected to receive All-Region Band honors at the TMEA Music Region 26 All-Region Band auditions on November 2, 2024 at Walsh Middle School in Round Rock ISD. Over 1000 students started the audition process to earn the All-Region distinction, and only 20% of those students were named to one of the TMEA All-Region ensembles. This places David among the "Best of the Best" musicians in the north Austin metro area, and our HMS Band family is extremely proud of him for reaching this milestone accomplishment.

David will represent Hutto Middle School at the All-Region Band Clinic and Concert at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center in December. He will work with top-tier conductors and music educators through a Friday night and Saturday morning clinic, then perform on Saturday afternoon. Congratulations, David!

HMS Band Students Earn 2024 TMEA All-District Band Honors

Ten HMS Band members competed in the TMEA Region 26 All-District Middle School Band auditions at Cedar Valley Middle School on Saturday, October 26th. Around 400 students from the north Austin metro area competed for the opportunity to earn All-District honors and to advance to the TMEA All-Region Band auditions the following weekend at Walsh Middle School. Of the 10 HMS Band students who competed, 5 placed high enough to earn All-District Band honors:

Amy Yang - Flute
Owen Trump - Tenor Saxophone
Kynzie Payton - Horn
Trinity Eze - Trombone
David Johnston - Tuba

One student, David Johnston, placed high enough in the tuba section to advance to the All-Region Band audition on November 2nd. We are very proud of these students, especially of their hard work and commitment to learning some very challenging music to prepare for this competition.

3rd Annual HMS Band Family Fun Night

Thank you to all the families who joined us at GattiTown Round Rock for our 3rd annual HMS Band Family Fun Night on September 27th! It was great to see parents connecting with other HMS Band parents, letting our students socialize and meet one another, and having time to build relationships as a band family. We hope to have another similar event soon!

Concert Band - UIL 2024 Sight Reading Award

The HMS Concert Band, directed by Trey Lockett, earned a Superior rating in Sight Reading at the 2024 UIL Music Region 26 Concert & Sight Reading Evaluation at Pflugerville HS.

Symphonic Band - UIL 2024 Sight Reading Award

The HMS Symphonic Band, under the direction of Brent Acuff, earned Superior ratings in Sight Reading at the 2024 UIL Music Region 26 Concert & Sight Reading Evaluation at Pflugerville HS.

Wind Ensemble - UIL 2024 Concert Award

The HMS Wind Ensemble, directed by Jo Ann Champion, earned Superior ratings in Concert Performance at the 2024 UIL Music Region 26 Concert & Sight Reading Evaluation at Pflugerville HS.

HMS Wind Ensemble Students Earn TMEA Honors

On Saturday, October 28th, HMS hosted the TMEA All-District Band Auditions for TMEA Region 26 Zone 3. At that competition, 7 HMS Wind Ensemble members earned All-District Honors:

Renee James, Trumpet
Liam Hatfield, Alto Saxophone
Dongwon Kang, Bb Clarinet
Avery Lindeman, Tenor Trombone
Cameron Oliver, Tenor Saxophone
Patrick Scott, Percussion
Raevyn Warner, French Horn
Noah Witcher, Euphonium

Almost 1100 students auditioned in the All-District Round. Approximately 250 students of the original 1100 earned All-Region honors. Five of the seven HMS students who placed in the All-District Band advanced to the All-Region audition round, held at Pearson Ranch MS in RRISD the following weekend. Three of these students performed well enough at their audition to be named to the TMEA All-Region Middle School Band, the "best of the best" musicians in the northern Austin metropolitan area:

Renee James, Trumpet
Patrick Scott, Percussion
Raevyn Warner, French Horn

These three students participated in the All-Region Band Clinic and Concert at the RRISD Performing Arts Center in December and represented HMS and the Hippo Nation very well. We are extremely proud of these outstanding musicians!

HMS Advanced Bands Excel at SoundWaves Festival

The advanced bands at Hutto Middle School participated in the annual SoundWaves Music Festival at Schlitterbahn this past weekend and came home with 3 awards for their performances.

The combined HMS Concert and Symphonic Bands earned an Excellent rating for their performance and took home a trophy for being the 1st Place Non-Varsity Concert Band. The HMS Wind Ensemble earned a Superior Rating for their performance and took home a trophy as the 1st Place Varsity Concert Band at the festival. The HMS Wind Ensemble also took top honors and brought home the trophy for the overall Outstanding Concert Band at the festival.

Our staff is so proud of the hard work our students put into creating musical excellence, and we love seeing them embody our motto in all they do: ENGAGE - EXCEL - ELEVATE!

HMS Symphonic & Concert Bands earn 2nd Consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Award

This year, the HMS Concert and Symphonic Bands combined to perform for the annual UIL Region 26 Concert and Sightreading Evaluation, hosted by the Pflugerville HS Band. The band performed in two separate assessments - Concert Performance, where students performed repertoire from a prescribed list they've prepared this semester for a panel of 3 adjudicators, and Sightreading, in which students were given 7 minutes to work with their director and prepare a piece of music they had not seen before, then perform it for a panel of 3 judges. The combined band earned a rating of 1, or Superior, in both aspects of their evaluation, resulting in the band earning the Sweepstakes distinction. This is the second consecutive Sweepstakes award for this group, and both students and staff are justifiably proud. Directors are Brent Acuff, Trey Lockett, and Jo Ann Champion

HMS Wind Ensemble Earns 6th Consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Award

The HMS Wind Ensemble continued their tradition of excellence by earning their 6th consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Award at the UIL Region 26 Concert and Sightreading Contest on March 28, 2023 at Pflugerville High School. The band, led by Jo Ann Champion, Trey Lockett, and Brent Acuff, performed a program of diverse repertoire, including "Marzo Zingaro" by Randall Standridge, a stirring arrangement of the spiritual, "Down To The River," by Michael Sweeney, and "Looking Up!", an energetic, contemporary work by Robert Sheldon. The HMS Wind Ensemble earned a Superior rating for their concert performance and in their sightreading performance as well, yielding the UIL Sweepstakes designation. This is the longest UIL Sweepstakes streak for any music ensemble in Hutto Middle School history, and the band is extremely proud of their hard work and accomplishments.

HMS Bassoonist Selected to TMEA All-Region Band

Four Hutto Middle School Band students represented the campus at the TMEA Region 26 All-Region Band Auditions this past weekend at Pearson Ranch Middle School. The audition was the final step in a process that began in August for over a thousand 7th and 8th grade band students across the area. Over 1200 students auditioned at 3 different sites on October 29th for All-District honors, and the top students from each site advanced to compete head-to-head for All-Region Band/Orchestra honors on November 5th. Of the four HMS Band students who competed, Emily Champion was selected to represent HMS in the All-Region Symphonic Band at the clinic and concert to be held December 9th and 10th at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center.

To earn All-District recognition is noteworthy, and to advance to the second round is a testament to the countless hours of practice these students have dedicated to learning this music and improving their personal performance skills. Our staff is extremely proud of these students for their hard work and commitment to excellence.

HMS Band Students Earn TMEA All-District Honors

On Saturday, October 29, nearly 30 HMS Band students participated in the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 26 All-District Middle School Band auditions at Cedar Valley Middle School, and the following five Hutto Middle School Band students earned positions in the All-District Band:

Ivey Yang - Flute

Jheremy Dinopol - Clarinet

Emily Champion - Bassoon

Raevyn Warner - French horn

Patrick Scott - Percussion

Of these five students, four placed high enough to advance to the second round, which will be held this coming Saturday (11/5) at Pearson Ranch Middle School, to audition for the TMEA All-Region Orchestra and All-Region Band. The clinic and concerts for these ensembles, should they earn All-Region honors, will be held in December at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center. The four students advancing to the next audition level are:

Ivey Yang

Emily Champion

Raevyn Warner

Patrick Scott

Patrick is the first percussion student and Raevyn is the first French horn player from Hutto Middle School to ever earn TMEA All-District honors. Emily is the first two-year All-District band member in HMS history. The HMS staff is extremely proud of the extra time and effort these students put into preparing for this event, and are pleased to see their numerous hours of hard work pay off. Please help us in congratulating these students when you see them this week. They truly embody our motto: Engage - Excel - Elevate!

First Ever HMS Band Family Night Was a Great Success!

Our band hosted our first-ever HMS Band Family Night at GattiTown in Round Rock on Friday night, September 23rd. We had almost 100 families attend to spend an evening together, and the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. We can't wait to schedule our next family event for the spring semester!

Symphonic Band Earns First-Ever UIL Sweepstakes Award

The HMS Symphonic Band, under the direction of Brent Acuff, earned a UIL Sweepstakes Award designation for the first time in the group's history. The group performed at the UIL Region 26 Middle School Concert and Sightreading Evaluation at Georgetown HS on March 4th, where they earned superior ratings in both, Concert and Sightreading performances.

Wind Ensemble Earns 5th Consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Award

After a 1-year hiatus due to the ongoing pandemic, the HMS Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Jo Ann Champion and Ryan Manders, returned to the Region 26 UIL Middle School Concert and Sightreading Evaluation on March 29, 2022, and came away with straight 1st division ratings from all 6 judges in both aspects of the event. This is the 5th straight UIL Sweepstakes distinction for the HMS Wind Ensemble, a school record and a continuation of the ensemble's commitment to musical excellence.

The HMS Wind Ensemble poses with their UIL Sweepstakes Award at the Klett Performing Arts Center at Georgetown High School on March 29, 2022.

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