ABOUT AARON
Aaron D. McMichael
Aaron D. McMichael b. 1979. A proud alumnus of the Long Beach High School Band in Long Beach, Mississippi, Mr. McMichael achieved many accolades as a student performer and composer. His influence to start writing music began when he would bring home the many free cassette tapes and CDs the band director would receive from various music publishing catalogs. He earned his degrees at Jones County Junior College (A.A.) and Troy State University (B.M.E.) Cum Laude, University of Texas at Brownsville (M.M.) During college, he was also a member of The Cavaliers and The Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. Eventually, he moved to Texas, where he taught in the middle and high school band settings for over 18 years. While teaching in Texas he has garnered many accolades: 6 Division Ones/Sweepstakes in a Row, Sweepstakes w/ Harrell Middle School Band (second year of existence), All-Region Brass students (Region 14, 15, 28), All-Region Jazz Band Students (Region 14), All-Region Middle School Band students (Region 15, 28), All-Region Middle School Jazz Band Students (Region 28), Area G qualifying All-Region Students, and Numerous Division I brass students for Solo & Ensemble (Region and State Level). Recently, he and his staff took a band shutdown during Covid from 11 students to over 110 students in the total band program at Progreso ISD. During his time at Progreso, the school achieved its first-ever sweepstakes and has three straight Division One Marching seasons.
Mr. McMichael has written 40 pieces of music for band. Some of his pieces have been selected to be performed at the Texas Bandmasters Association in San Antonio (2019 and 2021). His piece “Angels in Sky” was written for his beloved Siberian Husky, who passed away. It is also an ATSSB 2021 Honorable mention and was premiered by the McAllen Wind Ensemble. The piece “The Winter Storm” was performed by the Helfrich Park Stem Academy band for the Indiana Music Educators Association in 2020. This year, his piece “The Brave Warrior” was selected by Carl Fischer Inc. for publication. Carl Fischer is one of the leading publishers of instrumental band music. Recently, Mr. McMichael landed his piece “Witch Hunt” in the Top 100 Bandworld compositions for 2021. His piece will be world-premiered in November at the International Band Directors Convention. There are 9 JWPepper Editor’s choices to his name, a Midwest piece, The Dungeon Master, was played, and the world premier of The Evil Within was played by the William Carey University Wind Ensemble. He actively writes for Carl Fischer, Tux Peoples Music, and one piece with Grand Mesa Music.
AARON’S MUSIC
Aaron’s music has been performed throughout the country including state and international conventions. You will also find his music on many state lists.
Flight at Dawn
2018 Midwest Clinic
Traveling Middle School Band
John Davis, Conductor
Full Throttle
2020 Iowa MEA
McAllister Middle School Band
Sally Smith, Conductor
Witch Hunt
2022 Midwest Clinic
Henderson High School Wind Ensemble
Alex Davis, Conductor
Flight at Dawn
Indiana & Texas State List
Full Throttle
Ohio & Georgia State List
COMMISSION A NEW WORK
Aaron really enjoys the collaborative process of commissioned pieces. He would love to work with you and your group on a new piece to commemorate a special occasion, honor an important person, or just for the fun of creating new music together.
GET TO KNOW AARON
When I was a student at Troy State University, I took my first composition class with Robert W. Smith and Ralph Ford. That course was my first real opportunity to write music in an academic setting, and it gave me the freedom to experiment. I started by arranging pieces, and I remember my first assignment vividly—an arrangement of "Kiss the Girl" from Disney, written for marching band using Finale, which was my very first notation program back in 2002. At the time, I was just beginning, and honestly, I didn’t think I had the skills to be a real composer. After the class ended, I told myself that maybe writing music just wasn’t for me.
Years later, around 2009, I was asked to write marching band arrangements for Weslaco High School and Progreso High School. I gave it my best shot, but again, I felt like I was in over my head. I questioned why I kept saying yes to something I wasn’t sure I was good at. But something changed around 2018. Instead of trying to arrange existing music, I decided to go back to composing original pieces—this time focusing on music for young bands.
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Most of my teaching career has been spent in programs that didn’t have the ideal resources. I’ve worked with bands that lacked instruments, consistent staffing, and access to the kind of music that matched the high standards we see across Texas. I’d scroll through the Texas PML and find great music—but not always the right music for the unique challenges my students faced. So I started writing what I felt was missing. I composed pieces from scratch, with the hope that they would someday help other directors and students who were in the same position I had been in for most of my career.
In 2019, after spending the summer writing and refining several pieces, I took a leap and went to the Texas Bandmasters Association convention to try and get my music published. Most companies turned me down, and one rejection from a fellow Troy graduate really stung—he told me my music just wasn’t sophisticated enough. But rather than let that stop me, I let it drive me. That criticism lit a fire under me, and not long after, I landed my first publishing deal with Carl Fischer, thanks to editor Mike Tatem who took a chance on me.
Since then, I’ve been fortunate to sign with Carl Fischer, Tux People’s Music, and On the Field Music. Several of my pieces have been named J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice selections, and some have even made it onto the Texas PML—a full-circle moment I never saw coming back in 2002.
I write music because I believe every student, no matter their school size or resources, deserves access to music that challenges them, inspires them, and helps them sound their best. There’s still a real need for band music that meets young players where they are, without sacrificing quality or heart. That’s why I keep composing—and why I’m more passionate about it now than ever before.