Shawn Bell, President

Shawn Bell is Director of Choirs at Permian High School in Odessa , Texas . Currently in his thirteenth year of teaching, Shawn has almost spent his entire career at Permian High School, except for two years where he served as Director of Choirs at Judson High School in Converse, Texas (1994-1996).  

Under his direction, the Permian and Judson choirs have received consistent UIL first division and sweepstakes awards.  Bell’s choirs have also earned consistent first divisions, as well as “Best in Class” and “Best in Festival” honors in spring festivals throughout Texas , Colorado , and Missouri .  Under Bell’s direction, the Permian Kantorei performed at the 2000 TMEA convention as well as the 2003 national American Choral Directors Association convention in New York City .  Furthermore, he conducted Kantorei on a national broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in June of 2002.  

Bell has served as Vice President and Vocal Chairman of TMEA Region VI.  Having also served on the UIL State Sight Reading Committee, Shawn continues to adjudicate, clinic, and conduct choirs throughout Texas .  Bell holds degrees from Jefferson College in Hillsboro , Missouri , Eastman School of Music in Rochester , New York , and Texas Tech University in Lubbock , Texas .  He has studied with Richard Bell, Seth McCoy, Donald Neuen, Karl Dent, and Dr. Kenneth Davis.  

Bell is a member of TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, TMAA, and TCTA.  Also employed as Director of Music at First Christian Church in Odessa, Shawn and his wife, Donna, have two beautiful children:  Landon, four, and Ashlyn, two.

Contact Information:
Permian HS
2908 Dustin Dr.
Odessa, TX 78762
Phone: 432/366-3652 x 158
Fax: 432/368-2209
belljs@ector-county.k12.tx.us

JD Janda, President-Elect
 

JD (John David) Janda is currently the director of bands and Fine Arts Department Chair at James E. Taylor HS in Katy ISD. He previously served as Director of Bands at Columbus HS, Boling HS and Katy JH.

At Taylor HS, Janda directs the 300 member JET Marching Band, the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, the Junior Varsity Band, teaches AP Music Theory and serves as Associate Conductor of the Taylor HS Symphony Orchestra. Bands under Janda’s direction have made numerous appearances at UIL State Marching Contest, ranked high in the TMEA Honor Band Competition and have been consistent UIL Sweepstakes Awards recipients. His concert bands and jazz bands at Taylor HS have won many best in class awards at festivals across America. Janda was recognized for his outstanding contributions to students lives in 2001 when he was named recipient of the “Southwestern Bell - UIL Sponsor Excellence Award” for the State of Texas.

Janda has served as Region 23 Band Chair, the TMEA Area E Tryout Chair, the TMEA 5A All-State Tryout Chair and is a member of the UIL State Music Advisory Committee.

A native of Bellville, Janda earned his Bachelor of Music Education at Southwestern Univ in Georgetown, Texas with a minor in Trombone Performance. Janda has completed graduate work at West Texas State Univ, East Texas State Univ and the Univ of Houston and will complete a Masters degree in Educational Management in May 2006 from the Univ of Houston/Clear Lake.

Janda’s professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, TMEA, TMAA, TBA and IAJE.

Janda and his wife Nancy live in Katy where she teaches sixth grade math for Katy ISD. They have two children, Janie and Gordon.

Contact Information:

James E. Taylor HS
20611 Cranfield Dr.
Katy, TX,  77450-2701
Phone: (281) 237-9266
Fax: (281) 644-1766
Email- johnjanda@katyisd.org

Steve Andre, Past-President

Steve Andre is currently the director of bands and fine arts department chair at Grapevine High School.  Andre has been a public school music educator for nineteen years. The Grapevine High School band is a consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winner. in addition to being a finalist at regional marching contests, the Grapevine High School Marching Band has been a finalist at the Texas State Marching Contest on three occasions; finishing third in 1999 & 2001. Under his direction the Wind Ensemble has received Superior ratings at local, regional, and national festivals. Grapevine's concert bands have been named the outstanding > performing group at festivals in Texas, Florida, and New York. 

He received his B.F.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University, and his M.M.E. from Texas Christian University. Steve has received numerous awards for his work in the classroom including; the prestigious University Interscholastic League Sponsor Excellence Award, the PTA Friend of Children Award, the Grapevine High School Student Council President's Choice Award, and has been named to Who's Who Among American High School Teachers. He has served TMEA as Band Chair in both Region 5 and 24, Region 5 Vice President, 4A and 5A All State Auditions Chair, and has been an Honor Band panel chair at both the Area and State level. Mr. Andre has also been a staff member for the Bands of America summer workshops, and Attitude Concepts for Today, Andre is in demand not only as a clinician and adjudicator but also as a speaker on band leadership training and motivation. 

Andre's professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, TMAA, ATSSB, and Phi Beta Mu. 

He and his wife Susan live in Keller with their three children; Ryan, Timothy, and Jillian.

Contact Information:
Grapevine HS
301 Granite Falls Dr.
Keller, TX 76248
Phone- (817) 251-5249
Fax- (817) 481-5957
Email- steve.andre@gcisd.net

Ross Boothman,
Vice-President and Band Division Chair

Ross Boothman is the director of bands and music department chair at Lumberton High School. Currently in his twenty-second year of teaching, he has taught in Lumberton for sixteen years and previously taught in the Deweyville and Hardin-Jefferson school districts.

Under his direction, the Lumberton High School band has become a consistent UIL sweepstakes award winner. In addition, the symphonic band has been named outstanding instrumental ensemble at festivals in Orlando and Atlanta.

He earned his Bachelors and Masters in Music Education from Lamar University. In May of 2006, he completed his Masters in Educational Administration, also from Lamar University.

He is a member of TMEA, ATSSB, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Ross and his daughter, Lauren, live in Lumberton.

Contact Information:
Lumberton High School
103 S. LHS Dr.
Lumberton, TX 77657
Phone – 409-923-7858
Fax – 409-923-7819
Email – rboothman@lumberton.k12.tx.us

James Edwards,
Vice-President and Orchestra Division Chair

James Edwards is in his ninth year as the Orchestra Director at Westlake HS in Austin. He is currently co-conductor of the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra, a position he previously held from 1998-2003. Edwards was a founding co-conductor of the Austin Youth Sinfonietta Orchestra from 1994-1996. In addition, he has been a guest conductor for the Austin Civic Orchestra and has taught for the Music Departments of Texas State University in San Marcos and Amarillo College.

Edwards has served as TMEA Region Chair in both Amarillo and Austin and as Texas Music Adjudicators Association Orchestra Vice-President and President. Other positions of service held include Chairman of the UIL Prescribed Music List Committee and UIL Sightreading Selection Committee. He is also currently the Vice-President of Mu Omicron, Honorary Orchestra Director Fraternity. In 1991, Edwards was awarded the Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding High School Teachers. In 2002, the Westlake Orchestra was named TMEA Honor Full Orchestra Runner-up, and in 2003 was named the TMEA Honor Full Orchestra. In 2005, Edwards was included in Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers and was named the first Distinguished Music Educator by Texas Tech University.

Edwards holds the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Music Education, and the Master of Music degrees from Texas Tech University and has pursued additional musical studies at Arizona State University.

Contact Information:
Westlake HS
3205 John Campbell's Trl.
Austin, TX 78735
Phone: (512) 732-9280 x33823
Fax: (512) 732-9278
JEdwards@eanes.k12.tx.us

Denise R. Eaton has taught secondary choral music for 25 years. A native Texan, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she received the Bachelor of Music degree in education with emphasis in piano and voice.

Eaton is currently in her thirteenth year as the head choral director at Spring High School in the Spring ISD. Prior to accepting her current position in 1994, she was the associate choral director at Sam Rayburn High School in the Pasadena ISD for 12 years.  Choirs under her direction have performed at TMEA conventions in 1994, 1997, 2003, 2004, and 2007 and at the 1998 Southwest ACDA convention. Chamber Choirs under her direction have won the prestigious American Classic Madrigal and Chamber Choir festival in San Antonio four times.

Eaton has served as Area and Region Vocal Chairman, All-State Treble Choir Organizer, All-State Section Leader and as a convention facilities team member. She has also served on both the UIL Sight-reading and PML committees. An active clinician, she has conducted numerous Texas All-Region choirs, the 2001 Arkansas All-State Treble choir and the 2006 Louisiana ACDA All-State Treble choir. She was the 1998 recipient of the Southwestern Bell UIL Sponsor’s Excellence Award and was named the 2004 Spring High School Teacher of the Year.

Known for her innovative teaching styles, Eaton has presented numerous workshops and clinics for TMEA regions and school districts throughout Texas and Georgia, for TCDA and TMEA conventions and is a founding member of the CEDFA cadre. She authored SMART Volume I (Sight Singing Made Accessible Readable and Teachable), a sight-reading book published in July of 2006. She is a member of ACDA, TMEA, TMAA and TCDA.

Contact Information:
Spring HS
20423 Cannaberry Way
Spring, Tx 77388
Phone: (832) 764-7061
Fax: (832) 764-7000
denisee@springisd.org

Michele Hobizal,
Vice-President and Elementary Division Chair

Michele Hobizal is an elementary music specialist at Pattison Elementary in Katy ISD in Katy. She has taught elementary music for twenty-one years, ten of which have been at Pattison Elementary, and has previously taught in Columbus ISD, Bellville ISD and Pasadena ISD.

Hobizal is the founding director of the Katy ISD Elementary Honor Choir (2000-2006). The Honor Choir was invited to perform for the Houston Chamber Choir (2004) and at the TASB/TASA Conference (2001). The Honor Choir was selected as an “Invited Choir” and performed at the 2007 TMEA Convention in which Hobizal was the guest conductor. She is the co-director of the Pattison 5^th grade Colt Chorale which has annual performances at Sea World in San Antonio with various performances around the Houston area and was invited to perform at The Arts Education Day at the Capitol (2000). Hobizal was named the Pattison Elementary Teacher of the Year (2000) and serves as the team leader for her department in addition to being a member of the Katy ISD Elementary music planner committee.

Besides her teaching duties, Hobizal has served as the Region 23 elementary division chair for nine years. She is a member of the TEA committee to develop the TExES test for music education graduates and a cadre member/clinician for the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA). Hobizal is a member of TMEA and TCDA.

Born in Deer Park, Hobizal earned her Bachelor of Music Education at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Hobizal is married to Marcel Hobizal, a system designer for an eDiscovery company.

Contact Information:
Pattison Elementary
6427 Faulkner Ridge Drive
Katy, TX 77450
Phone: (281) 237-4482
Fax: (281) 644-1575
Email – sallyhobizal@katyisd.org

Caia McCullar is the Program Director of Music Education and Professor of Voice at Dallas Baptist University. She received her Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University with an emphasis in Music Education and Voice, a Master of Music Education and Performer’s Certificate in Voice from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Baylor University. She holds teaching certifications in all-level music, generic special education, and elementary education, as well as certification levels in Kodaly and Orff methodologies.

McCullar has taught at all levels, including elementary music, fifth grade Language Arts and Social Studies, middle school choir, middle school special education, and high school private voice. At the university level, she teaches elementary and secondary music education methods, music for classroom teachers, the Music TExES Review course, private voice, and supervises music student teachers. McCullar taught graduate courses in church music education and music history, as well as directed the Children’s Choir Lab at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served as music education professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wayland Baptist University.

McCullar has taught twenty-two years at the university level and fourteen years in public and private schools in Texas. As a high school private voice teacher, she had numerous students who were named members of the TMEA All-State Choirs. Her students also received gold and silver medals, as well as being named Outstanding Performers at the UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest. She is a member of TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, OAKE, AOSA, NATS, and MENC.

McCullar and her husband, David, who is Director of Fine Arts in Denton ISD, are co-authors of the study manual Pass the TExES Music EC-12. She has twice been named in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and is also recognized by the American Norwegian Historical Association as an Outstanding Young Woman in America.

Contact Information:

Dallas Baptist University
3000 Mountain Creek Parkway
Dallas, TX 75211
Phone- (214) 333-5708
Fax- (214) 333-6804
E-mail- caia@dbu.edu