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The Bands of Southeast High School
ABOUT US
Established in 1959, the Bands of Southeast High School are a storied tradition of musical excellence and superior performance. As one of the original band programs of Manatee County, they are active participants in the local community as well as the Florida Bandmasters Association. Its long line of directors, including legendary names like Robert Sheldon, have established the Bands of Southeast as an exemplary program in the Florida band community.
ENSEMBLES
MARCHING 'NOLES
The Marching 'Noles are the front-facing ensemble of the Bands of Southeast. They participate at all home football games and school athletic events, as well as outreach events including local elementary schools and the Desoto Society Grand Ball. The Marching 'Noles regularly compete at regional competitions and consistently score high in their classification. Each year, they perform and perfect a high quality halftime show that is both engaging for the audience and holds artistic merit.
The Marching 'Noles 2025 show is Days in Color based on the writings of Dr. Seuss and the music of Inside Out, Billie Eilish, and Blue Skies. Recent shows have included Clue (2024), Almost There! (2023), and Cruella (2022).
CONCERT BANDS
The concert bands are the core of the program. Currently, all advanced students are placed in the Wind Ensemble where they rehearse and perform for school concerts and the FBA Music Performance Assessment. The Wind Ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire including band standards, new music, and popular repertoire. At the most recent FBA District 11 MPA, the Wind Ensemble earned an overall rating of superior.
Southeast High School is also proud to offer a beginning band for students who wish to begin playing for the first time in high school. Many of these students go on to be successful members of the Marching 'Noles and Wind Ensemble.
JAZZ BAND
The Renegade Jazz Band is an ensemble offered to students who wish to perform music in the jazz idiom. It is primarily a big band instrumentation, including trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and a rhythm section. Repertoire includes swing charts, latin music, rock songs, and pop tunes.
The Renegade Jazz Band participates in FBA Distric 11 Jazz Band Music Performance Assessment.
NOLETTES
The Nolettes Color Guard and Dance Team are a component of the Bands of Southeast that focus on dance performance and equipment including flag, rifle, and saber. The Nolettes participate in the Marching 'Noles and compete independently with their Winter Guard team in the Florida Federation of Color Guards Circuit.
The 2024-25 season was the Nolettes' debut in the FFCC where they premiered their show Nina Cried Power. They were promoted to Scholastic AAA, and earned 9th place in their division.
EVENTS
DIRECTOR AND STAFF
DIRECTOR
Mr. Joseph McFarland is the current director of the Bands of Southeast. A true Floridian, he holds both his Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Florida.
Prior to his appointment at Southeast High School, Mr. McFarland served as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida where he conducted the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Bands, and Basketball Pep Band. He also assisted with the Gator Marching Band. Additionally, Mr. McFarland has worked with many band programs across the state including Forest High School, Ponte Vedra High School, Union County High School, and King High School.
Mr. McFarland’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the Florida Music Education Association, the Florida Bandmaster’s Association, and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.
NOLETTES DIRECTOR
Ms. Jakaia Nelson is an alumna of the Nolettes Colorguard and Dance Team. After High School, she attended Florida Atlantic University and earned her Bachelor of General Studies in Education. While at FAU, Ms. Nelson was a three-year member of the FAU Marching Owls Colorguard team and led as captain her senior year. Currently, she teaches social studies here at Southeast High School in addition to leading the Nolettes. In her time working with the Nolettes, she has helped grow the team into a competitive force in the FFCC.
STAFF
Brendan Guyre attended Florida State University and graduated cum laude with a degree in Literature, Media, and Culture and a minor in Music. He has been an English teacher at Southeast since 2022, primarily teaching English III for 11th-grade students. Mr. Guyre works closely with the Marching ‘Noles in show design (writing drill, designing props and promotional art, etc.) and has been a part of the program continually since 2015.
Sharon Garcia de Leon has been working with the Southeast percussion since 2021, mainly focusing on front ensemble during the marching season. Mallet percussion is her primary instrument, but also enjoys playing the piano & violin. Sharon is currently at State College of Florida majoring in music education. She likes to paint & play tennis for fun.
Aaron has been with the drumline for three years, working closely with his sister on the fundamentals and techniques of drumming on the flat drums of the line. Aaron focuses on challenging the students to thrive in performance after each practice. His main instrument is the marching quads, but he enjoys playing the viola. He is currently majoring in Theater Performance for his bachelors in acting at USF Tampa, and has been in performances around the community.
Celeste Matthews is an alumna of Southeast High School and served as the Color Guard Instructor from 2014-2018. She helped integrate the Nolettes dance team and color guard into a singular entity while in this role. Since 2018, she has held the title of Director of Dance. As director, she helped elevate the team to a superior rated team that competed in many regional competitions. Now, she serves as support staff to help boost the team through design, administrative assistance, and publicity.
PARENTS
The Southeast High School Instrumental Music Boosters' mission is to boost the Bands of Southeast through fundraising, outreach, and student support. Please stay tuned for volunteer opportunities!
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