Since 1954 thousands of high schools have honored their top band students with the John Philip Sousa Award. The pinnacle of achievement in a high school band program, the Sousa Award recognizes superior musicianship, leadership, dependability, loyalty, and cooperation - the qualities directors strive to develop in all students. The award has become a nationwide symbol of excellence in musical achievement. Here at Pioneer, we honor our most deserving band member each year by presenting them with the John Philip Sousa Award.
John Philip Sousa (1854–1932) was the longtime director of The President's Own Marine Band, and a prolific composer and arranger. He championed the cause of music education, received several honorary degrees, and fought for composers' rights.
The Louis Armstrong Jazz Award® was inaugurated in 1974 with the consent of his widow shortly after this great jazz artist died in 1971. It honors the outstanding jazz musician at each high school. The Pioneer Band Program presents the Louis Armstrong Award to the most outstanding Pioneer jazz band member.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), known around the world as Satchmo, was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz - a uniquely American art form. His influence as an artist and cultural icon is very much alive today. During his career, Louis Armstrong developed a way of playing jazz as an instrumentalist and vocalist which has had an impact on all musicians to follow. He recorded hit songs for five decards; composed dozens of songs that have become jazz standards; performed an average of 300 concerts each year, with his frequent tours to all parts of the world earning him the nickname "Ambassador Satch;" and through the years entertained millions, from heads of state and royalty to the kids on the stoop in Corona, New York.
Associate Director of Bands, 1992–2017
Nancy Waring was the first ever Associate Director of Bands, and she worked with the bands at Pioneer High School from 1992-2017. She helped to produce the high level of performances for which the bands are known at music festivals and performances here in Michigan as well as Orlando, Chicago, Boston, New York, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Toronto, Orlando, Europe and Beijing and Tianjin, China.
During her tenure the Pioneer Music Department was honored by the Grammy Foundation as The National GRAMMY Signature School, the most outstanding high school music department in the nation in 2006 and 2011. Pioneer was the first music department to ever receive this award two times. The department was also awarded Grammy Gold Signature School awards, one of the top seven high school music departments, in 2004 and 2005, and Grammy Signature School awards, one of the top fifty high school music departments, in 2002 and 2003.
Ms. Waring is included in the ninth edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers, a listing of the best teachers in America selected by their students.
Ms. Waring's teachers include Roy Ernst, Larry Teal, Joseph Mariano, Keith Bryan, and Elizabeth A. H. Green. Ms. Waring was a flutist for two years in the U of M Symphony Band, under the direction of William D. Revelli. She is a graduate of The University of Michigan School of Music where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education (1971) and a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance (1972). She has performed as principal flutist and soloist with several orchestras in southeast Michigan. Before her appointment at Pioneer High School she was substitute flutist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. At present she freelances when time permits.
Ms. Waring has taught flute on the faculties of the University of Toledo and the Interlochen Arts Academy. She has maintained a private flute studio in the Ann Arbor area for over thirty years. Ms. Waring also wrote the proposal for, developed the course structure and content for, and taught the Music Theory and Technology course at Pioneer High School.
Visit the Nancy Waring Endowment Fund Page.
The Director's Award for Band honors an outstanding member of our Varsity Band or Concert Band White, the foundations of our award-winning band program. The student who receives this award is specifically chosen by the director of the Varsity Band and Concert Band White. This student has continuously gone above and beyond the normal classroom expectations, someone who leads by example, and enriches the foundation of our band program.
The Woody Herman Jazz Award® was created in 1988, shortly after Herman’s death, to honor outstanding jazz students. The Woody Herman Award honors a jazz student for outstanding contributions to the Pioneer Jazz Program. This award is presented to the runner-up to the Louis Armstrong Award.
Woody Herman (1913-1987) was a jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and Big Band leader, formed the Woody Herman Orchestra in 1936. His lively, swinging arrangements combining bop themes with swing rhythm parts were greatly admired; Igor Stravinsky wrote "Ebony Concerto" for his band.
