GOSHEN, Ind. — Excellence rarely comes quickly. It’s deliberate, measured, and relentless. It’s a guiding light, but never guaranteed.
Inside the Goshen High School band room, where Tom Cox and Josh Kaufman have carried the Crimson Band legacy into the 21st century, evidence of excellence is easy to see.
Trophies line the walls. The massive space and its carefully curated wooden and brass contents are themselves a testament to commitment. As soon as you step inside, you know that Goshen cherishes excellence in its music programs.
“Our strength,” Cox admits as if it were a secret, “comes from everyone pulling in the same direction.”
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It’s because of that shared strength that the Goshen High School Band program is the 2025 recipient of the prestigous Phi Beta Mu Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction Award, one of the most respected honors in music education. Only two programs nationwide receive the award each year, and programs earn consideration only through nomination by peers. North Shore Senior High School in the greater Houston area joins Goshen as an honoree.
Cox and Kaufman claim the award Thursday, Dec. 18 in Chicago. It comes on the heels of the program’s third-place Class B finish in the 2025 ISSMA Marching Band State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It’s the highest finish for the Crimson since placing second in 2012.
‘Goshen High School Band Excellence Day’ proclaimed
Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty recognized that achievement Tuesday during the Winter Band Concert at the Goshen High School Auditorium by heaping more accolades on the program.
Following the Wind Ensemble’s smooth rendition of Stan Applebaum’s “Toboggan Ride,” Leichty presented Cox and Kaufman with the Keys to the City and proclaimed Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 as Goshen High School Band Excellence Day.
“Music plays an essential role in the City of Goshen by bringing people together, fostering creativity, and providing young people with confidence, discipline, and a powerful means of expression,” Leichty read from her proclamation. “Through their mentorship and commitment to excellence, Tom Cox and Josh Kaufman have helped sustain and strengthen the Goshen High School Band Program and its impact on students and the broader community.”
The Irons Award evaluates sustained excellence across concert, marching, jazz, guard, and percussion ensembles. Judges review years of adjudicated performances, student achievement, alumni success, instructional practices, and community engagement. Longevity and program legacy weigh heavily in the selection process.
“You have to be good at everything,” Cox said. “And we are strong across the board.”
While Cox and Kaufman carry the torch now, the current success reflects decades of leadership and continuity. Former directors Dave Plank and Max Mault helped establish expectations rooted in discipline, musicianship, and student development. Cox and Kaufman continue that work today.
Building from the bottom up
Cox is in his 25th year with the program, with Kaufman — a 1992 GHS graduate — close behind at 20. Together, they work with students in grades six through 12, allowing instructors to guide musicians from their first notes through graduation.
That’s why both Cox and Kaufman begin their work days not at the high school, but at Goshen Intermediate where sixth-graders begin their journey and find their place within the program.
“From day one in sixth grade we show students how we do things. It’s our feeder system.”
Goshen High School Co-Band Director Josh Kaufman
Mault, who has been a band director for nearly 50 years, is still a big part of the program leading the sixth-grade indoctrination. In 2023 he was honored as Indiana’s Outstanding Middle School Music Educator.
Rounding out the band program staff is junior high instructor Max Johnson and percussion specialist Matt James.
“We’ve done it this way since I was hired 25 years ago,” Cox said of cultivating a base with the sixth graders. “Max Mault hired me and said, here’s what you’re doing. We show our students right from the start that this is how we do it. Then it’s a consistent line until they graduate.”
Community support remains a constant, Cox said, from band parents to local audiences who attend performances year after year.
For Goshen, the Irons Award affirms a tradition built from the ground up. The Goshen High School Band program continues to grow early, build steadily, and sustain excellence across generations.
“(This award) demonstrates the importance of continuity and stewardship,” Leichty said, “in achieving lasting success.”