Our Story
About
Bands of Wando Program
Wando High School has one of the most comprehensive band programs in South Carolina. Over two hundred students participate in four concert bands, percussion ensemble classes, marching band, three jazz bands, various chamber ensembles, and a junior varsity and varsity Winter guard program. The Wando Symphonic Band performed at the 2007 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and in 2007 received the Sudler Flag of Honor, administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.
The band also performed at the 1998 and 2002 Bands of America National Concert Band Festivals. Other honors include being named National Honor Band for the 2005 Grand NAI, the 2004 and 2009 University of South Carolina Band Clinics, and the 2006 and 2011 National Concert Band and Orchestra Invitational through the Disney Honors program. In 2019, Wando’s Symphonic Band once again was invited to performed at the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic.
Marching Band
Bands of America
The marching band regularly performs in various locations at the Bands of America Regional and Super Regional competitions. These include Atlanta in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, as well as Orlando in 2019, Jacksonville, Alabama in 2021, and Conway, SC in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, the band competed at the Indianapolis Super Regional and placed 5th overall in the finals.
In 2023, Wando High School won the Bands of America Carolinas Regional competition. In 2021, Wando High School won the Bands of America Jacksonville, Alabama Regional competition, and in 2018, Wando won the BOA Georgia Regional & South Carolina Regional.
In 2011, the marching performed at BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, reaching the final 12 out of 95 bands. In 2014, they returned to BOA Grand Nationals and placed 7th overall. In 2016, Wando Band placed 8th overall at BOA Grand Nationals. In 2019, Wando Band placed 6th in BOA Grand Nationals with their highest score & highest placement to date at Grand Nationals. In 2021, following a gap year due to COVID restrictions, Wando returned to the Grand Nationals competition and placed 13 out of over 100 national bands.
SCBDA 5A State Championships
Wando Bands has been named South Carolina State 5A Champions every year that they have competed from 2003-2023, for a total of 15 State Championships. In 2024, Wando Bands placed second in the State 6A Championships and were the Lower State Champions.
School and Community
Mount Pleasant is located six miles from downtown Charleston on the outskirts of a metropolitan tri-county area inhabited by 700,000 people. Wando High School serves the towns of Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, and Sullivan’s Island in the East Cooper community of Charleston County.
East Cooper’s population has more than tripled since 1975. Even with rapid growth and expansion, each township is determined to maintain its small-town atmosphere, which is reflected in the schools and community at large. Wando High School, with an enrollment of over 2500 students, serves grades nine through twelve with a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum. Since its opening in 1973, Wando High School has gained a reputation for excellence throughout the state and region in academics, the fine arts, and extracurricular activities. Wando is known for its strong arts education program, which is part of the arts conservatory in the smaller learning community within the School of Arts and Humanities. Wando High School is an ABC site for arts education in the state of South Carolina.
Middle School Instruction
The schools in the East Cooper Constituent District begin band in sixth grade. Wando High School has three middle level feeder schools: Cario Middle School, Laing Middle School, and Moultrie Middle School. Students receive a comprehensive instrumental education, as evidenced by their membership in the South Carolina All-State and Region Bands. All groups meet five times per week and all beginners meet in heterogeneous groupings.
Seventh and eighth grade students participate in the South Carolina Band Directors Association Concert Festival, Solo and Ensemble, and honor ensembles. A large portion of the Charleston All-County Band is comprised of middle school students from the East Cooper area. Each of the middle schools annually participates in a Symphonic Camp setting lead by nationally recognized clinicians. Several of the Wando High School students provide private instruction to students in our middle schools through the Music Mentors program.