Beth Butler has had a distinguished and impactful career as band director at Thrall ISD. The 2025-2026 school year marks her 38th year in music education at Thrall.
Beth Butler grew up in Carrizo Springs in South Texas. After graduating Carrizo Springs High School, she initially pursued a degree in music ministry at Southwestern University in Georgetown, but after she spent a year on that track, the music ministry degree program was discontinued. Leaning on her faith, she felt perhaps this was a nudge from above toward a career as a band director. “Maybe this is what God is calling me to do,” she thought. So, she decided to pursue her education with the aim of a career as a band director.
Butler completed her degree in 1988 at Southwestern, but found it hard to find a job in music education. In late June that year, she received a call from her mentor at Southwestern, Dr. George Nelson, telling her about an opening at a small Williamson County school. She came to Thrall ISD and interviewed with Superintendent Tom Bowman and High School Principal Jerry Fleming about the position of Band Director for Thrall schools. By the end of the day, she said she had the job and went about preparing for the school year.
Butler said the band program had seen the band director’s position change several times before her arrival, and as a result, there was not much consistency in the Thrall band program. Several talented directors had led the program, but the constant change meant that the program could not establish roots and build up.
“So, it was kind of a rebuilding thing, from the bottom up.” Butler said. “All of the directors that had been there before me were very talented directors, and that’s why I say I think it was just a lack of consistency between directors,” Butler said.
Butler first led the Tiger Marching Band to the second round of marching competition, then known as the “Regional Round,” in her second year at Thrall in 1989, as the band went on to march at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco. The Tiger Band advanced again in the fall of 1993 to the second round of marching competition, to what was then named the “Area Round,” again marching at Floyd Casey Stadium. That day, the weather was bitterly cold, and windy conditions blew half of the band’s hats into the end zone. Butler noted that the Tiger Marching Band has been a consistent participant at the Area round of competition since then.
Butler made a point to note that the first time the Thrall Tiger marching band advanced to State Competition was under Bill Tune in the fall of 1981. When her assistant, Bana Estes, arrived in the mid 2010’s, he asked about the goals she’d like to reach. She said she wanted to see her students march in the State Marching Competition before she retired. “And by golly, not even three years later, we were there. And so, I attribute a lot of that growth to him. He deserves a lot of that credit.”
The Tiger Marching Band halftime show in 2018 was titled, “The Time In Between,” with a narrator reciting the poem “The Dash” throughout the show, discussing the period between birth and death and how a person uses the time. The show had an impact on the audience.
“I can’t tell you the number of times the number of people that walked up to me that didn’t know me after we performed, and told me, ‘We really liked that,’” Butler said.
The Tiger Band reached the State Marching Competition for the second time in 2020. Each round of marching contests that year had been pushed back due to the Covid pandemic, resulting in a very long marching season. Covid regulations meant the band had to be split in half for most practices, with the entire band together only on Monday nights. The theme of the marching program that year was “Joy,” which Butler felt was right for the time.
“I love that we picked that theme, that year, because if there was any time anybody needed it, it was that year."
In competitions for solo and ensemble, as well as concert competitions, she has seen musicians advance during her tenure. She noted that during her tenure as band director she has had five all state band students, including a two-year all state student and a three-year all state student. Students in solo competition go through the audition process at the regional and area rounds and can compete at the State Level.
Butler said her hope was always to empower those students to blossom individually.
“It’s all really about just making these kids better musicians, and giving them the tools to continue their music if they so desire after high school.”
With her career spent at Thrall, she has many former students whom she has a chance to see at events, especially homecoming.
“I’m honored that they do come back and that it meant something to them,” she said.
Butler has stepped down from her role as primary band director for the school district, with Stacy Gist taking up the role this year. Butler currently assists with the high school and middle school bands, and teaches music primarily at the elementary school level.
Butler is now married to husband Robert. They grew up together at Carrizo Springs, where their families were friends, and they went through school together. They reunited after his father’s death, and began dating in 2018. They were married in 2020.
Butler said her overall ambition is to empower students with a lifelong passion for music.
“My goal with the band has always been to prepare my kids well enough, that post-high school, if they want to continue to further their music education, they can, or if they want to simply find a community group in which to play, be proficient enough that they can do that and enjoy music for the rest of their lives.”