The John L. LeFlore Mighty Marching Rattler Band began in 1968 as Toulminville High Mighty Marching Rattler Band under the direction and guidance of Mr. Marion Ward and Mr. James Seals. Mr. Ward, a Dixieland trombonist, known for his sweet, smooth tone and improvisational talent, has been identified as one of the best trombone players in the area. Upon receiving a degree from Alabama State University in Music Education, Mr. Ward established himself as a successful music educator at Booker T. Washington Middle School, Toulminville High School and John L. LeFlore High School. Mr. Ward has performed with the historical Excelsior Band of Mobile Alabama. The Excelsior Band is a ten piece marching brass band that consists of 3 trumpets, 3 saxophones, a trombone, a tuba, bass and a snare drum which also perform as a quintet. The members of the band come from diverse occupational backgrounds and all are highly revered in the Mobile area for their many years of musical contributions throughout the city. The Excelsior Band has marched the streets of downtown Mobile for over 100 years in various Mardi Gras parades.

Toulminville High Mighty Marching Rattler Band gained noteriety upon its inception for its distinct quality of sound, sparkling halftime shows, marching techniques, and rattler pride. The qualities Mr. Ward established with the Mighty Marching Rattler Band throughout his tenure from Toulminville to LeFlore were passed to the bands next director, Mr. Terrence Mixon, a LeFlore graduate who played under Mr. Ward and further established the bands motto: “THE BEST BAND IN THE LAND” by winning numerous awards, band competitions, and invitations to collegiate homecomings and the Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Atlanta, GA. LeFlore transitioned smoothly from Mr. Terrence Mixon, a graduate of John L. LeFlore High School, Mr. Deri Grissett, a graduate of Florida A&M University, to Mr. Michael Standifer, a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University in three years.

Under the direction of Mr. Standifer, the band has continued to hold true to the core values established by Mr. Ward at Toulminville High School while propelling the band to extraordinary heights. The Mighty Marching Rattler Band consists of a highly technical percussion section(DΦD), tubas(Silver Bullets), baritones(BΦT), trombones(TΦB), french horns(FΦH), trumpets(TΦB), saxophones(SΦ), clarinettes(CΦNettes), flutes(FΦP), piccolos(FΦP), drummajors, and two auxiliary units which are the Strikettes Dance Team(DΦG) and Flag Corporation(FΦC). Composed of talented musicians, the Mighty Marching Rattler Band has generated a genuine pride in the entire student body at LeFlore Magnet High School, Toulminville, and Mobile County as a result of their stellar performances in the state of Alabama and the country. The Mobile County Public School System recently acknowledged the band as one of the finest bands in the state for its 2007, 2008, and 2009 1st place wins in an adjudicated, invitation-only battle of the bands in Montgomery, Alabama. The competition was fierce but, the LeFlore Mighty Marching Rattler Band swept the competition and dethroned the current champs with authority. The ultimate prize for winning the competition wasn’t just a trophy, but an all-expense paid trip to perform with the National Football League at selected games exemplfying Rattler Pride, precision, and exiciting show band entertainment.

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