The band at American Sr. High School has been a cornerstone of the school and the surrounding community since its inception in the fall of 1976. Jeffrey Schleifer, then director of bands was able to recruit a large amount of students for the bands inaugural season, featuring over 100 students. The band would begin to perform in the Traditional "Show-Style" featuring high-stepping marchers, twirling majorettes, showy flagettes, and extremely coordinated drill team. This style became popular with the growing of HBCU Band Programs across the state and country. Taking elements from the Marching 100 at Florida A&M University and the Marching Wildcats from Bethune-Cookman University, the American Band Program combines the very best of these programs. In the 1980's, many area bands would begin to transition to "Corps-Style" marching, popularized by the Drum Corps activity. Despite the popularity of this style, American Sr. High School would keep to its traditional roots.