Music has been a part of Alex Yanez’s life for as long as he can remember.
There was the strings program at Regency Place Elementary School, and the first time he picked up a saxophone at Garner Middle School. He has vivid memories marching in the MacArthur High School Band (Class of 1996) under the Friday night lights. In college, he earned a scholarship to perform in the marching and jazz bands at Southwest Texas State University, known today as Texas State.
“I’ve been a band kid my whole life. I’ve always been interested in music. All the groups I could possibly join – I did because it was so much fun for me.”
Music is still a lot of fun for Yanez. He’s 20 years into his career as a Band Director and has spent the past nine at Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School. While music education is certainly a priority for him, he knows his band students are learning valuable life lessons like leadership, accountability, commitment and teamwork.
“We try to help them understand and guide them to be not only musicians but leaders at this school,” said Yanez. “What is a successful band program? It’s a place where students like to come and hang out, enjoy making music and memories with their friends while working toward a common goal. What else can we teach them besides music? That’s something I’m always thinking about.”
When you’re part of a band, you’re part of something bigger than yourself. You get to hang out with your friends, play music and have fun. Yanez hopes to continue having fun #theNEISDway and making an impact in the lives of his students for many years to come.
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