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After sending out 17 resumes and interviewing at seven school districts with no job offers, Marilyn Mattei arrived in Princeton in 1972 as one of the only female band directors in the state.

According to Princeton ISD records, there were only 13 students in the band when Mrs. Mattei started her job.

At the dedication of Mattei Middle School in 2023, former Princeton ISD superintendent Frank Garner spoke on behalf of Mrs. Mattei.

“Marilyn’s first band hall was at the Lacy campus, and it was an old ag shop that had been vacated for several years," Mr. Garner said. "No A/C. Sticky windows, because some of them were stuck open and wouldn’t close and some of them were stuck closed and couldn’t open. But it didn’t matter, she was going to do it right. They musically held their own, and we started hearing about ‘that little band.’ She literally built this program.”

But she wasn’t alone. Despite him not being on the payroll yet, Marilyn brought along the talents of her husband, Buddy, who was focused on his career as a musician at the time. But he always offered his assistance over the next 11 years until he officially joined the PISD staff as a band director in 1983.

“When George Clark hired me, he didn’t know he was getting a buy one, get one free,” Marilyn said of Buddy’s contribution to PISD. “For 11 years, he was there when he didn’t have to be. His resume says 16 years, but it was really 27 years of dedication and commitment to the Princeton band and students.”

Buddy had equally complimentary things to say about his wife.

“The primary reason this school is named Buddy and Marilyn is because I married so well,” he said. “She did all of the heavy lifting. She put Princeton in the top tier and created Panther Pride.”

From their foundation, the Panther band now boasts more than 200 members.

Since the middle school opened, Buddy and Marilyn Mattei have continued their contributions to the school district. They frequently offer their time to work with students to improve their music, as well as work at the school offering their musical talents to serve as contest judges. And, you can usually find them at Mattei Middle School on the first day of school welcoming students or at band events handing out awards.

In addition, Buddy Mattei was commissioned by the Princeton Band Boosters to write a piece honoring the original three Princeton middle schools.

The piece, “Prince Dowlin Suite," has three movements, including Clark: Fanfare and Caprice; Southard: Serenade; Mattei: March, Chorale and Procession.
Each movement has musical references significant to the families the schools are named after. The entire piece was first performed in its entirety in the Spring of 2024.

Two out of the three movements have been added to the Prescribed Music List, which is the state-required list directors use to choose music from for the annual UIL evaluation.