The John L. LeFlore Mighty Marching Rattler Band
The John L. LeFlore Mighty Marching Rattler Band began in 1968 as the Toulminville Mighty Marching 120 Rattlers under the direction of Mr. Marion Ward and Mr. James Seals. Mr. Ward, a dixieland trombonist, known for his improvisational talent, has been identified as one of the best trombonists in the area. Upon receiving a bachelors in music education from Alabama State University, Mr. Ward established himself as a successful music educator at Booker T. Washington Middle School, Toulminville High School, and LeFlore High School.
The Toulminville Mighty Marching Rattlers gained notoriety for their distinct quality of sound, sparkling halftime shows, marching technique, and rattler pride. The qualities Mr. Ward established throughout his tenure from Toulminville to LeFlore were passed to the next director of music, Mr. Terrence Mixon, a LeFlore graduate who 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.
Under the direction of Mr. Michael J. Standifer, the band has continued to hold true to the core values established at Toulminville High School while propelling to extraordinary heights. The Mighty Marching Rattler Band consists of a highly technical percussion section(DΦD), tubas(TΦT), baritones(BΦT), trombones(TΦB), French horns(FΦH), trumpets(TΦB), saxophones(SΦ), clarinettes (CΦNettes), flutes(FΦP), piccolos(FΦP), drum majors, and two auxiliary units: Strikettes Dance Team(DΦG), and Flag Corps.(FΦC). Composed of talented musicians, the Mighty Marching Rattler Band has generated genuine pride in LeFlore and Toulminville as a result of their stellar performances. The Mobile County Public School System acknowledged the band as one of the finest bands in the state for placing 1st in the 2007,2008, and 2009 adjudicated, invitation-only, battle of the bands in Montgomery, AL. The competitions included magnificent band programs, but the fierce Rattlers swept them all and dethroned the 2007 champs with authority. The ultimate prize for winning the 2007 competition wasn't just a trophy, but an all-expense paid trip to perform with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League exemplifying Rattler Pride, precision, and exciting show-band entertainment.
The John L. LeFlore Band desires to provide the ultimate in Marching Band entertainment with excellent musicianship and precision at it's best. This Band program has received millions of dollars in Band scholarships from a varied number of educational institutions. Along with providing education opportunities, our band program has inspired students on career paths in music medicine, law enforcement, and lawyers. We educate young people on how to be disciplined and also how to lead others to success. We are invited to a plethora of different places because of our reputation of raw talent on and off the field. We've been featured in a movie, named best band by Mobile Bay Magazine, invited to an NFL game, and won countless band competitions in and out of the state of Alabama. Whenever LeFlore is brought up, you can guarantee the Mighty Marching Rattler Band will be mentioned. Seeing the image of the 90 degree angle of our legs in the crisp green uniforms makes any alumni swell with pride.
Not only is our band known for its precision on the band field, but we have also been known for our various instrumental ensembles. We stress the idea of learning how to play marching band music as well as concert and symphonic tunes. Lately we have been invited to perform at the Mobile Museum of Art State Convention and also the National Superintendent of large school districts Convention.
The John L. LeFlore Mighty Marching Rattler Band is a tradition of being leaders in our school, community, state, and region.