This report was compiled by freelance writers Charlene Arsenault
and Michael Swiderek, and editor Christian Wissmuller.

This annual feature of ours… Let’s just say that it’s a “challenging
article,” from an editorial standpoint: First of all, there are a lot of
great teachers out there and it’s not easy to whittle the field down
to just one individual, per state; secondly, after we compile a final
list of deserving candidates, invariably a small percentage of those
folks have retired, moved away, or fail to reply to phone calls or
e-mails, et cetera; lastly, getting in touch with and profiling –
however briefly – 50 individuals is… well, it’s tough!

But I digress. The time for whining has passed because, after much
sweat (well, not really…), tears (a few!), and decidedly unhealthy
amounts of coffee (SBO acknowledges no official connectionor
endorsement arrangement with Dunkin’Donuts, though I’m happy
to speak with any of the company’s representatives, privately), this
year’s installment is here – done, finished, es completo, c’est fini.

If you subscribe to SBO – and, if you’re reading this, chances are
you do – then you likely don’t need to be told that educators,
particularly those who teach “the arts,” are, on average, woefully
underappreciated. As our frequent surveys and monthly interviews
suggest, virtually all music teachers are negatively impacted by
some combination of: government legislation, budget cuts or
poor funding, bureaucratic red tape, occasional parental or student
indifference, et. al.Nonetheless, for all the hurdles facing music
educators, the fact remains that they (you!) are, indeed, appreciated.

Many students form lasting bonds with their music teachers,
communities take pride in the presence of a strong local band
program, and parents appreciate the dedication and focus which
musicianship brings to the lives of their children.

We at SBO certainly appreciate the efforts that go into being
effective mentors and recognize the lasting positive effects
that music educators can have on their kids and, consequently,
society. With that in mind, we are proud (and exhausted)
to present 2005’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.”


SBO'S “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.”

ALABAMA - PATRICK CROWLEY
Band Director
Alma Bryant High School
Irvington, AL
Years at School: 2
Total Years Teaching: 16
Number of Music Students: 72



ALASKA - CHRISTOPHER LUBKEN
Director of Bands
West Valley High School
Fairbanks, ALASKA
Years at School: 7
Total Years Teaching: 7
Number of Music Students: 154

ARIZONA - AL NECAS
Band and Choir Director
Valley Union High School, Elfrida Junior
High School, Elfrida Elementary School
Elfrida, AZ
Years at School: 35
Total Years Teaching: 45
Number of Music Students: 70-80

ARKANSAS - ALANA SMITH
Band Director and Music Department Chair
Danville High School
Danville, AR
Years at School: 15
Total Years Teaching: 8
Number of Music Students: 90

CALIFORNIA - DAN TAGUCHI
Teacher
Hamilton High School Academy of Music
Los Angeles, CA
Years at School: 12
Total Years Teaching: 27
Number of Music Students: more than 900

COLORADO - JOHN FABELA
Instrumental Music Instructor
RE I Valley School District
Sterling, CO
Years at School: 15
Total Years Teaching: 18
Number of Music Students: 166
(grades 5-12)

CONNECTICUT - JOHN YOON
Director of Bands
Greenwich High School
Greenwich, CT
Years at School: 14
Total Years Teaching: 22
Number of Music Students: 202



DELAWARE - BOB EMMONS
Band Director, Middle School
Cab Calloway School of
the Arts
Wilmington, DE
Years at School: 13
Total Years Teaching: 32
Number of Music Students: 110
GOALS AS A MUSIC EDUCATOR: My hope
is that the students will leave the school
with a lifelong love and understanding
of music

FLORIDA - SHANNON FELOSS
Miami Southridge Senior High School
Miami, FL
Years at School: 4
Total Years Teaching: 4.5
Number of Music Students: 300

GEORGIA - ALFRED L. WATKINS
Director of Bands
Lassiter High School
Marietta, GA
Years at school: 24 years
Total Years Teaching: 30 years
Students in Program: 325

HAWAII - ARISTOTLE SANTA CRUZ
Assistant Band Director
Kamehameha Schools
Honolulu, HAWAII
Years at School: 28
Total Years Teaching: 28
Number of Students: 175



IDAHO - BRIAN CLARK
Director of Bands
Timberline High School
Boise, IDAHO
Years at School: 1
Total Years Teaching: 14
Number of Music Students: 35

ILLINOIS - DJ ALSTADT
Director of Bands
Naperville Central High School
Naperville, IL
Years at School: 7
Total Years Teaching: 7
Number of Music Students: 317

INDIANA - DANIEL R. PRITCHETT
Director of Bands, Music Department Chair
Valparaiso High School
Valparaiso, IN
Years at School: 31
Total Years Teaching: 31
Number of Music Students: 220

IOWA - JOE OVERTON
Eddyville/Blakesburg High
School
Eddyville, IOWA
Years at School: 21
Total Years Teaching: 25
Number of Music Students: 155

KANSAS - CONNIE REISHUS
Instrumental and Vocal
Teacher
Plainville High School
Plainville, KS
Years at School: 6
Total Years Teaching: 28 1/2

KENTUCKY - CHARLES M. SMITH
Band Director
Lafayette High School
Lexington, KY
Years at School: 10
Total Years Teaching: 18
Number of Music Students: 236

LOUISIANA - JASON VENABLE
Director of Bands
Zachary High School
Zachary, LA
Years at School: 6
Total Years Teaching: 8
Number of Music Students: 120

MAINE - KYLE SMITH
Director of Instrumental Music
Biddeford High School
Biddeford, MAINE
Years at School: 3
Total Years Teaching: 3
Number of Music Students: 65

MARYLAND - STEPHANIE HUESGEN
Band Director/
Music Department Chair
Archbishop Spalding High
School
Severn, MD
Years at School: 19
Total Years Teaching: 22
Number of Music Students: 350

MASSACHUSETTS - PAUL L. PITTS
Program Director for the Arts
Boston Latin School
Boston, MA
Years at School: 7
Total Years Teaching: 25
Number of Music Students: 852

MICHIGAN - EDWARD FALLS
Band Director
Gladwin Junior and Senior
High School
Gladwin, MI
Years at School: 6
Total Years Teaching: 17
Number of Music Students: 190

MINNESOTTA - BRIAN UDELHOFEN
GIS Technician, Music Educator,
Graduate Student
Minnetonka High School
Minnetonka, MN
Years at School: 1
Total Years Teaching: 7
Number of Music Students: 8

MISSISSIPPI - JAMES SILLS
Director of Bands
Clinton High School
Clinton, MS
Years at School: 9
Total Years Teaching: 22
Number of Music Students: 400

MISSOURI - TOM HIGGINS
Director of Bands
Linn High School
Linn, MO
Years at School: 25
Total Years Teaching: 25
Number of Music Students: 205

MONTANA - JOHN COMBS
Director of Bands
Hellgate High School
Missoula, MT
Years at School: 25
Total Years Teaching:
Number of Music Students: 185

NEBRASKA - BYRON BRAASCH
Director of Bands
Bellevue West High School
Bellevue, NE
Years at school: 18 years
Total Years Teaching: 24 years
Number of Music Students: 240 students

NEVADA - BRIAN T. DOWNEY
Music Director
Las Vegas Academy of Performing and Visual Arts
Las Vegas, NV
Years at school: 1
Total Years Teaching: 11
Students in Program: 170

NEW JERSEY - MARK KRAFT
Band Director
South Brunswick High School
Monmouth Junction, NJ
Years at school: 25
Total Years Teaching: 27 years
Students in Program: 350 in the band program

NEW HAMPSHIRE - DARYL ROBERTSON
Director of Music
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Rollinsford, NH
Years at school: 4
Total Years Teaching: 11
Students in Program: 140

NEW MEXICO - NEIL SWAPP
Mayfield High School
Las Cruces, NM
Years at school: 10
Total Years Teaching: 17
Students in Program: 160

NEW YORK - JOEL SMALES
Director of Bands
Binghamton High School
Binghamton, NY
Years at school: 6
Total Years Teaching: 9
Students in Program: 107

NORTH CAROLINA - WILLIAM BRYANT
AC Reynolds High School
Asheville, NC
Years at school: 17
Total Years Teaching: 33
Students in Program: 130

NORTH DAKOTA - DAVE JENSEN
Music Director
Minot High School
Minot, ND
Years at school: 25
Total Years Teaching: 33
Students in Program: 120

OHIO - DAVE CARBONE
Director of Bands and Music
Bellbrook High School
Bellbrook, OHIO
Years at school: 5
Total Years Teaching: 13
Students in Program: 175

OKLAHOMA - ROBERT ANDERSON
Band Director
Enid High School
Enid, OK
Years at school: 3
Total Years Teaching: 15
Students in Program: 1,000

OREGON - BILL ROBBINS
Band Director
North Eugene High School
North Eugene, OR
Years at school: 12
Total Years Teaching: 26
Students in Program: 115

PENNSYLVANIA - DEREK S. BOYCE
Director of Bands
Bermudian Springs High
School
York Springs, PA
Years at school: 6
Total Years Teaching: 9
Students in Program: 140

RHODE ISLAND - METRO A. NARCISI, III
Director of Instrumental Music
West Warwick High School
West Warwick, RI
Years at school: 11
Total Years Teaching: 17
Students in Program: 210

SOUTH CAROLINA - SARAH FITZGERALD
High School Orchestra Director
Charleston School of the Arts
North Charleston, SC
Years at school: 4
Total Years Teaching: 20
Students in Program: 127

SOUTH DAKOTA - JIM SMITH
Director of Bands
O’Gorman High School
Sioux Falls
Years at School: 24
Total Years Teaching: 39
Number of Music Students: 150

TENNESSEE - DAVID TALBERT
Director of Bands
Cookeville High School
Cookevill, TN
Years at School: 19
Total Years of Teaching: 19
Number of Students in Program: 95

TEXAS - KENNAN WYLIE
Director, Percussion Program
Marcus High School & Area Jr. High Schools
Flower Mound, TEXAS
Years at School: 15
Total Years of Teaching: 18
Number of Students in Program: 125

UTAH - PAUL LEMEN
Orem High School
Orem, UTAH
Years at school: 12
Total Years Teaching: 12
Students in Program: 120

VERMONT - MARY A. BAUER
Instrumental Music Director
Mount Mansfield Union High
School
Jericho, VT
Years at school: 2
Total Years Teaching: 8
Students in Program: 110

VIRGINIA - RICHARD BERGMAN
Herndon High School
Herndon, VA
Years at school: 28
Total Years Teaching: 38
Students in Program: 180

WASHINGTON - DALE JOHNSON
Auburn Sr. High School
Auburn, WA
Years at school: 13
Total Years Teaching: 35
Students in Program: 60

WEST VIRGINIA - ERIC STONEKING
Band Director
Liberty High School
Clarksburg, WV
Years at school: 4
Total Years Teaching: 8
Students in Program: 160

WISCONSIN - BRENDA WINKLER
Director of Bands
Preble High School
Green Bay, WI
Years at School: 6
Total Years Teaching: 14
Students in Program: 135

WYOMING - CHRIS EHRLICH
Kelly Walsh High School
Casper, WY
Years at School: 2
Total Years Teaching: 2
Students in Program: 110