ROCKWALL, TX (August 20, 2021) It’s that time of year! College football season is fast approaching, and outstanding marching bands across the country have been hard at work this month in preparation. This fall, two Class of 2021 graduates of Rockwall-Heath High School will be taking the field each Saturday for 100,000+ fans. They are both proud alumni of the RHHS Mighty Hawk Band!
Mandalyn Middlebrook was one of over 625 students who auditioned for the 400 spots in the Million Dollar Band at the University of Alabama. She was selected to be a piccolo player this season, and she joins many fellow Texas students represented in the program. They began summer practice on August 6th. The band will begin the year performing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on September 4th. Additionally, the Million Dollar Band will be marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a first in the band’s 108-year history.
Mandalyn plans to major in Psychology and go on to earn a Ph.D., with plans to be a Psychologist. She played the flute in the Rockwall ISD band program for 6th through 12th grade. Mandalyn was a flute section leader her senior year in the Mighty Hawk Band at RHHS, she made All-Region her senior year, and she made State for both her solo and ensemble both her junior and senior years.
Graham Murphy was selected to be a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. They began summer practice on August 18th. The band will begin the year performing at Kyle Field in College Station on September 4th.
Graham plans to study business administration at Texas A&M, with the goal of becoming a firefighter after graduation. Graham was also involved in the Rockwall ISD band program from 6th through 12th grade, as a percussionist. He won many awards, and individually he placed at the State level both his sophomore and senior years at RHHS. In the Mighty Hawk Band, he was the percussion section leader, drumline captain, and lead snare during his senior year.
Story and photos submitted by Terri Creamer-Middlebrook, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.
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