The Ronald Wilson Reagan High School Band program is a comprehensive music education program (offered on an A day/B day schedule) consisting of three concert ensembles, two curricular jazz ensembles, two extra-curricular jazz ensembles, extra-curricular marching “Band of Raiders,” extra-curricular percussion ensemble, a winter-guard, and an active chamber ensemble program. Since the school opened its doors to students in 2005, the band program has grown from 80 students to 240 students in 2017-2018.

Reagan High School is located in Pfafftown, a suburban/rural community in the northwest corner of Forsyth County, and is part of the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools System. The school serves approximately 2,050 students from as many as eight middle schools, with no direct feeder. The faculty, staff, and community are incredibly supportive of the Fine Arts department, which also includes thriving chorus, orchestra, dance, visual art, and theater programs. During the 2016-2017 school year, Reagan was named an "A+" school by the state of North Carolina.

We strive for excellence in all of our ensembles at Reagan High School. Our concert and jazz ensembles consistently receive Superior ratings at MPA and Reagan continuously enjoys record number of students who audition and are selected for county, district, and state honors ensembles. Reagan annually hosts the City of the Arts Jazz Festival, an educational festival comprised of middle and high school jazz bands performances and clinicians from professional jazz educators.

The marching “Band of Raiders” rehearses twice a week after school, and students can receive a half-academic credit for participation. Aside from enjoying success at regional band festivals, the “Band of Raiders” represented North Carolina in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. in 2014 and again in 2018, and also performed in the London New Year’s Day Parade in 2016.

The Ronald Wilson Reagan High School Jazz Program consists of three jazz big bands and one jazz combo, with Jazz Ensemble I being the top-performing jazz ensemble. The jazz ensembles perform at all band concerts, community events and area retirement homes, participate in various jazz festivals across the state, and consistently receive Superior ratings at Jazz MPA. Jazz Ensemble I meets every other day during 4th period (A day B day schedule) on the opposite day of the Wind Ensemble class, allowing for the top-performing students to enroll in both classes.

Students in the band experience numerous classroom visits from jazz clinicians, visiting collegiate ensembles, and consistently earn placements in the Western-Region Jazz Ensembles. Reagan hosts the annual City of the Arts Jazz Festival, an educational festival comprised of middle and high school jazz band performances and clinics from professional jazz educators. In 2015, Reagan Jazz Ensemble I performed for Her Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant Roger Bramble, and was subsequently invited to join the marching band to perform in London. In 2018, Jazz Ensemble 1 performed at the North Carolina Music Educators Conference with guest artist Delfeayo Marsalis.

In the course of the year, the Reagan Band Program can see as many as 20 clinicians, guest artists, and instrument specialists.

Commissioned Works:

The Great Communicator March (Reagan Fight Song) - Bill Harbinson
Mountain Dances - Ed Kiefer
Mine Is the Sunlight (In Memory of Nicholas Doub) - Leonard Mark Lewis
Velocity for Percussion Ensemble - Jonathan Miller
Ukranian Bell Carol for Percussion Ensemble - Justin Mabry