March 30th, 2025 - Registration for the 2025 Championships is now OPEN! Note, registration is only open for one week, closing on April 5th at 11pm.
A record-breaking weekend at Downey High School showcased 152 performances! As championships quickly approach, student leaders are cleaning up their performances and making significant improvements, getting closer to delivering those idealized runs. In a remarkable achievement, N. Florez of the Aguiluchos Marching Band from Puebla, Mexico, proudly claimed the gold medal in the Virtual Flourishing category, earning a score of 82.40, which marks the second highest Virtual Flourishing score in SAML history! Additionally, A. Martin from John F. Kennedy High School secured gold in the Traditional Open category, achieving an impressive score of 92.30, which stands as the seventh highest Traditional score recorded in SAML history! Meanwhile, K. Hagerman of Magnolia High School took home the gold in the contemporary Sapphire division, impressively earning the third highest score in Contemporary history with a remarkable 90.70! M. Jenkins of Chino High School proudly claimed gold in the Contemporary Open category with a solid score of 87.60! Not to be overlooked, K. Hagerman of Magnolia High School and A. Hernandez of Santiago High School earned the eighth and ninth highest scores in Avant Garde history, with scores of 89.9 and 89.3, respectively. Rounding out the day, S. Bourland of Santiago High School garnered the highest conducting score of the day, achieving an impressive 89.50 and claiming gold in Principal Conducting!
March 22, 2025 - SAML hosted our inaugural Cultural Exchange in the vibrant city of Puebla, Mexico! The two-day event featured 150 student leaders from the Aguiluchos, Leones, Pegasos, and Aguilas Doradas Marching Bands!
March 16th, 2025 - SAML hosted one of its largest contest ever with 131 performances at the Montclair contest. The highest score of the day was earned by A. Martin of Kennedy HS, with an 86.90 in Traditional Open.
March 8th - I. Choi of John F. Kennedy High School won gold in Traditional Open at the University High School Contest with the highest score of the day, a 93.10, the fourth highest traditional score in SAML history!
March 8th - J. Esquivel of of Basset HS earns 1st place in the High School division at the Laguna Beach Parade. S. Tan of Townsend JHS and M. Abdlnour of Oaks MS earn 2nd and 3rd place in the MS division!
2025 Grid Leaders
Week 5
Conducting
Avant Garde
Contemporary
Traditional
Virtual
Top School
PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT LEADERS
TO INSPIRE CHANGE IN THE MARCHING & MUSIC COMMUNITY
What We Do…
We provide student leaders in the 5th -12th grades involved in the marching and music performing arts a platform to challenge their creativity, advance their skills and leadership through modern competitive events and progressive education.
Student Academy of Musical Leaders (SAML) was founded by former Drum Majors and Music Leaders dedicated to the advancement of the marching and music performing arts.
Student Academy of Musical Leaders (SAML) was founded in 2020 by a close-knit group of former Drum Majors and Music Leaders who wanted to provide student leaders a competitive circuit that pushed the limits of their creativity, offered support and guidance in their growth as young leaders, and assisted them in refining their skills as musicians and creators. This led to the creation of the “T Pattern” and other innovative performance formats and educational programs.
With passion and undeniable drive, the founding members of SAML were able to create a circuit that truly focuses on the ever-changing needs of student leaders involved in the marching and music performing arts.
SAML is based in Southern California and hopes to expand its reach in the future and is currently offering its programs to students in grades 5-12. SAML is also a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization.