Allen High School's 505-member Eagle Escadrille will perform "Empire Rising" this fall. The competitive marching show draws on Art Deco aesthetics, 1930s New York City imagery and George Gershwin-influenced jazz.
The show opens with what Director of Bands James Rees calls an immediate statement of force, according to an Allen ISD profile published Thursday, Aug. 27.
"We didn't want people to have to guess or wait for that moment of impact," Rees said. "By the end of the season, when we're in the competitive environment … you're not just going to hear that initial impact. You're going to feel it. We wanted people to know that Allen High School was in the house right away."
The Escadrille's fall schedule builds toward the UIL State Marching Contest for 6A bands, set for Nov. 9–11 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Scale that fills a stadium
The numbers alone set Allen apart. The parade block stretches 200 yards during rehearsal, beyond the boundaries of a standard turf field. A single supply order fills 40 boxes of marching shoes. When the full ensemble plays together, the acoustic power requires directors to wear earplugs.
Rees said the volume is not a matter of anyone doing something wrong. There are just a lot of students.
Star Local Media described the Escadrille as "America's largest high school marching band" in a Friday, Aug. 21 article.
Craig leads from the podium
Senior drum major Daniel Craig conducts that wall of sound from a podium high above the field. Craig joined the band as a freshman playing tenor saxophone and rose through squad and section leader roles before earning the drum major position.
Craig said the anonymity that 505 members might feel disappears the moment he steps onto the podium. Every mistake is visible in perfect detail, he said, and he has had to become comfortable with that exposure.
Craig balances band leadership with engineering aspirations. He described leading 505 people as no small thing, noting the connections and skills that come from putting in the effort under 101-degree heat.
Rees's teaching model
Rees came to Allen from Grapevine High School, where he served as band director since 2019. He holds a master's degree from SMU in music education and two bachelor's degrees from Texas Tech.
To manage the program's size, Rees uses a team-teaching framework. One director leads the main rehearsal while associate directors pull individuals aside for playing tests, feedback and targeted instruction. The program spans from the Lowrey Freshman Center to the varsity Wind Ensemble, with multiple classes stacked every period.
Rees said students who feel successful and feel they are learning will stick with the program. They want to be part of it because they feel seen.
Allen High School Principal Carrie Jackson said in the May 20 hiring announcement that Rees's "organizational skills and ability to build a student-centered culture with high expectations are what convinced us that he's the right person to lead the Biggest Band in the Land."
What's next
The Escadrille will perform "Empire Rising" at Allen Eagles home games at Eagle Stadium this fall before UIL regional and area contests lead to the state competition in San Antonio in November.
