As this annual feature grows longer in the tooth, folks occasionally hypothesize: “At some point it’s going to become difficult to come up with new teachers to profile. “Well, here we are, nine years into this exercise, and finding educators worthy of inclusion in our “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” report is the least of our problems (tracking down all these people and getting them to reply to e-mails and answer phone calls within deadline – now that’s sometimes a challenge…).
SBO, itself, is guided by the notion that there is a vast and ever-growing body of music educators who are dedicated, skilled, and inspiring mentors; this yearly article is merely one broad-stroke summary, which certainly confirms that notion. Individuals with decades of experience, as well as fresh-faced newcomers, are sharing their love of music with children and “fighting the good fight” – it’s rarely difficult to come up with commendable teachers, even when considering the smallest of states (I’m talking to you, Rhode Island and Delaware!).
Teachers such as those profiled here – and throughout the year in the pages of this magazine – can impact the lives of students, parents, and entire communities in profound and lasting ways. SBO is pleased to formally recognize and present 2006’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.”
ALABAMA
JIMMY LEEK
Director of Bands
Scottsboro High School
Scottsboro
ALASKA
RONNIE STANFORD
Band Director
Barrow High School
Barrow
ARIZONA
SCOTT BURGENER
Band Director
Mountain View High School
Mesa
ARKANSAS
ANGELA CLARK
Assistant Band Director
Kimmons Jr. High School, Darby Jr. High School and Northside High School
Fort Smith
CALIFORNIA
DAVID LESSER
Director of Bands
Clovis West High School
Fresno
COLORADO
GARY ARRASMITH
Director of Inst. Music
Rampart High School
Colorado Springs
CONNECTICUT
JIM WILKAS
Band Director
West Side Middle School
Waterbury
FLORIDA
MIKE GERMAN
Director of Bands
Lawton Chiles High School
Tallahassee
GEORGIA
JOHN MASHBURN
Director of Bands
Forsyth Central High School
Cumming
HAWAII
DARYL AGENA
Band Director
Kapolei High School
Kapolei
IDAHO
DAN L. NORTH
Director of Bands
Madison High School
Rexburg
ILLINOIS
DANIEL GREGERMAN
Choral Director
Niles North High School
Skokie
INDIANA
DOUGLAS R. FLETCHER
Director of Bands
Highland High School
Anderson
IOWA
RICHARD WADDINGTON
Director of Bands
Bondurant-Farrar High School
Bondurant
KANSAS
ERIN ELISSA SHELTON
Band Director
Independence Middle School and Independence High School
Independence
KENTUCKY
DAVID MOSS
Director of Bands
Crittenden Cnty. High/Middle School
Marion
LOUISIANA
CORY J. ADAMS
Chairperson of Music Dept.
Central Lafourche High School
Raceland
MAINE
DONALD LIEDKE
Band Director
Bonny Eagle High School
Standish
MARYLAND
MARK LORTZ
Band and Orchestra Director
Westminster High School
Westminster
MASSACHUSETTS
PETER GROVER TILESTON
Music Director
King Philip Regional High School
Wrentham
MICHIGAN
BRIAN ROELANDT
Director of Bands
Fitzgerald High School
Warren
MINNESOTA
BRUCE OLSON
Head Band Director
Blaine High School
Blaine
MISSISSIPPI
DEONE KEBODEAUX
Band Director
Perry Central High School
New Augusta
MISSOURI
STEVE McCLARD
Director of Bands
Bolivar High School/Middle School
Bolivar
MONTANA
LARRY LYNAM
Director of Bands
Skyview High School
Billings
NEBRASKA
MICHAEL POLLOCK
Director of Bands
Papillion La Vista
Papillion
NEVADA
WALT LOVELL
Director of Bands
Elko High School
Elko
NEW HAMPSHIRE
ERIC GAGNON
Band Director
Portsmouth High School
Portsmouth
NEW JERSEY
ED MARSH
Director of Marching Band and Cacophony Percussion Ensemble
Secaucus High School
Secaucus
NEW MEXICO
KEITH JORDAN
Band Director
La Cueva High School
Albuquerque
NEW YORK
BRUCE ENGEL
Director of Music
St. Anthony’s High School
South Huntington
NORTH CAROLINA
ARRIS A. GOLDEN
Director of Bands
Gravelly Hill Middle School
Efland
NORTH DAKOTA
JON BAUMANN
Director of Bands
Bismarck High School
Bismarck
OHIO
MIKE MANSER
Band Director
Upper Arlington High School
Columbus
OKLAHOMA
MICHAEL WESTBROOK
Director of Bands
Westmoore High School
Oklahoma City
OREGON
JEFF SEARLES
Band and Choir Instructor
Irrigon Junior Senior High School
Irrigon
PENNSYLVANIA
SAMUEL K. FISHER
Director of Bands
Middletown Area High School
Middletown
RHODE ISLAND
RICHARD VARS
Band Director
East Providence High School
East Providence
SOUTH CAROLINA
ADAM SCHEUCH
Director of Bands
Mauldin High School
Mauldin
SOUTH DAKOTA
RYAN STAHLE
Director of Bands
Mitchell High School
Mitchell
TENNESSEE
KEVIN D. HEBERT
Director of Bands
Tennessee High School
Bristol
TEXAS
NOE SANCHEZ
Director of Mariachi Program
Somerset ISD
Somerset
UTAH
ROBERT CURRY
Instrumental Music Teacher
Highland High School
Salt Lake City
VERMONT
JANE BOUFFARD
Band Director
Stow High School
Stowe
VIRGINIA
DENNY STOKES
Director of Bands
Robinson Secondary School
Fairfax
WASHINGTON
JAKE BERGEVIN
Band Director
Edmonds-Woodway High School
Edmonds
WEST VIRGINIA
JAMES SOUTHERN
Director of Bands
Martinsburg High School
Martinsburg
WISCONSIN
PABLO AMAYA III
Orchestra Director
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Milwaukee
WYOMING
DAVE BELLIS
Director of Bands
Worland Middle School and High School
Worland
