TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Highlighters jazz band is adding to its tradition of excellence with the announcement of another national honor for the group. The Highlighters, Temple High School’s top jazz ensemble, have been named National Winners in the Mark of Excellence’s National Jazz Honors Project.
The Highlighters are under the direction of Marcos Duran and are one of just three high school jazz bands from across the country to earn National Winner honors in the Mark of Excellence project. There were a total of 478 entries from across the nation throughout the different categories in the competition. The top 25 percent of performers receive the highest award of National Winners, with the next group being awarded Commended Honors. This Highlighters are now a five-time National Winner honoree in the Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Project.
“The kids were really excited to find out, especially when I explained to them who the other bands were that were selected,” Duran said. “It is always great to recognize student achievement and the kids really bought into the process and what we were doing. When that happens, the results take care of themselves. You could tell that every kid on the recording we submitted was having fun at all times and that is what makes it all worthwhile, to enjoy the moment and really let loose and perform. It came as a surprise after graduating a really great group of seniors, so I am incredibly proud of them, and so grateful for what they do to make my job more enjoyable on a regular basis.”
The submission process requires bands to submit 2-3 selections of prepared music that demonstrate the highest levels of musical artistry. For this year’s event, the Temple Highlighters submitted three selections for consideration from their 2024-2025 repertoire. These submissions included Thad Jones’ Big Dipper, Duke Ellington’s Addi, and John Clayton’s arrangement of Horace Silver’s The Jody Grind. Featured soloists on Big Dipper included Amari Traylor (piano), Deonte’ Nickson (trombone), Amare Dobbins (tenor saxophone), Brayden Slay (trumpet), Malik Badger (vibraphone), Lily Cortez (trumpet), Dinah Towell (alto saxophone), Mykel Buster (trumpet) and Aaron McCarty (tenor saxophone). Towell was a featured soloist on Addi, and McCarty, Job Anguiano (trombone) and Kristal Soto (drums) were featured soloists on The Jody Grind.
“I think it is super cool, I would hear from other people that we were really good, but then to be recognized on a national level is so cool to hear, especially after all of the hard work we put into this,” Amari Traylor, senior pianist for the Highlighters, said. “I want to be a music educator and teach and perform music. I want to bring young musicians into this world of jazz because that’s what Mr. Duran did for me, and I want to be able to do that for other people.”
“It was really cool because we went out there, did something great and were told ‘Hey, you did a good job,’ so it was very rewarding,” added Noah Pena, senior trombonist for the Highlighters. “It felt like we really kept growing throughout the process of recording and we really strived to better. This helps us grow and the things we are learning here can go anywhere in our future, no matter what we do in music, or out of music.”
National and Commended Winners are recognized in regional and/or national publications and at national and regional conventions. All participants will receive valuable feedback from expert adjudicators. The adjudicator for the 2025 National Jazz Honors Project is Grammy Award winning baritone saxophonist and San Jose State University Coordinator of Jazz Studies Aaron Lington.
The ensemble members typically practice outside of class for multiple hours each day and spend 50 minutes rehearsing in class each school day. The musicians say that hard work is all worthwhile when the group locks in during a performance and that the impact of being in the Highlighters also goes beyond the stage and rehearsal space.
“It was amazing to find out and shows that the hard work we put in really paid off and I am proud of myself,” said Amare Dobbins, junior tenor saxophonist for the Highlighters. “I want to really make sure that practicing is efficient and that every day, I am getting better at something. I would encourage anyone passionate about music to pursue this because it has made a big impact in my life. Now, I am thinking about pursuing music in college.”
Temple High School is home to the oldest high school jazz band in the state of Texas, with the Highlighters tradition of success dating back to the 1950’s. The ensemble also earned National Winner recognition in the National Jazz Honors Project in 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2021. The Highlighters have also received Commended Winner honors in 2014, 2016, and 2024.
“This program has such a long history and to know that I am part of a group that is continuing that is just a huge honor,” said Mallory Jarrell, senior alto saxophonist for the Highlighters. “My older brother was a Highlighter and I come from a musical family, to be part of something so special is very important to me. This has taught us how to build a community and we have to go out and have the discipline to practice on our own time and then come together as a group, and those are important lessons.”