Feel Good Story: Roarin’ Blue Band Marches to State for Fifth Consecutive Year

Feel Good Story: Roarin’ Blue Band Marches to State for Fifth Consecutive Year

The roar of excellence rings loud at Tomball Memorial High School as the Roarin’ Blue Band advances to the UIL 6A State Marching Band Championships for the fifth consecutive year. Under the direction of Andy Easton, the program has built a legacy defined by excellence, teamwork, and a love for music that resonates well beyond the field.

Now in his 21st year with Tomball ISD and 15th at Tomball Memorial High School, Easton has been part of the campus since its opening. His leadership and vision have helped shape the Roarin’ Blue Band into one of the most successful and respected marching programs in Texas.

“I am so proud of our students and our staff,” Easton said. “We are excited to go represent TMHS and TISD in the most competitive and prestigious marching band contest in the country.”

That success, he explains, stems from a foundation that begins long before students enter high school. “We have an amazing vertical team of Band Directors. The culture and expectations are consistent from 6th grade through 12th grade, and we all work together for the success of every kid in our program,” Easton said. “This alignment helps our kids know exactly what to expect at every level and how to work together toward a common goal.”

Over the years, the TMHS band has become known across the state for its bold, vibrant, and entertaining performances — a hallmark of its evolving identity. With the addition of new staff and a visionary design team, the program has reached new creative heights. This year’s production, Geometric Reverberations, draws inspiration from the Bauhaus design movement of the 1920s, blending art, geometry, and music into a modern spectacle of sound and color.

“There is geometry in the humming of the strings. There is music in the spacing of the spheres,” Easton quoted philosopher Pythagoras, a phrase that helped inspire the show’s artistic direction.

Beyond artistry, Easton credits the students’ sense of unity and shared purpose as the driving force behind their sustained success. “Every person in the band has to contribute musically and visually at the same level,” he said. “Before every performance, we talk about making a meaningful, memorable, musical connection with our audience — and, more importantly, with each other.”

That sense of connection runs deep for senior Caroline Castille, a four-year member and current Drum Major. “Being part of a band that has advanced to state five years in a row has been one of the biggest blessings in my life,” she said. “Each year brings a new show and a new role that we each play to end up back at state.”

Castille credits the program with shaping not just her musical skills, but her confidence and character. “On my very first day of band camp as a freshman, I was immediately accepted and loved exactly for who I was,” she recalled. “Ever since, I’ve tried to make everyone around me feel that same way — in band and in everything I do.”

Leadership, she says, has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. “It always seems easier to give up than to fix a problem, but putting in the effort to make something better is the most fulfilling thing ever,” Castille said. “The band has taught me to be patient, strong, and caring — all at once.”

As the Roarin’ Blue Band prepares to take the field at the Alamodome once again, Easton reflects on the greater purpose of the program. “I want our students to enjoy their time in band and learn how to work extremely hard together to perform at a very high level,” he said. “The skills they develop here — discipline, teamwork, perseverance — will help them in every facet of their lives.”

For Castille, who plans to attend either the University of Texas or Texas A&M to study kinesiology and exercise science, the end of her high school band journey is bittersweet. “The thing I’ll miss most is making those meaningful musical connections with my friends during performances,” she said. “That feeling can’t be replaced.”

Five straight years at state is an impressive accomplishment — but for Tomball Memorial’s Roarin’ Blue Band, it’s more than a record. It’s a reflection of passion, purpose, and the unbreakable rhythm of a program that continues to inspire.