Donnie Owens
Turner Middle School Director
Mr. Owens is a native of Oklahoma
where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State
University and a Master of Music Education degree from North Texas State
University. Mr. Owens has forty-five years of experience in the states
of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas as well as State Honor Bands in all three
states. His Dickenson High School Marching Band advanced to every 4A
State Marching Contest, made finals every tie and won the State Marching
Contest five times. In 1994 the Dickinson Band Hall was renamed the
"Don Owens Band Hall". Mr. Owens has held individual offices in
Oklahoma and Texas band organizations and has received numerous individual
honors. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Bandmasters Hall of Fame, he
was the first Texas band director to receive the UIL Denius Sponsor
Excellence Aware, and he was receive the National Band Association Citation
of Merit.
After his second retirement he was please to have been asked to lead the
Turner Middle School Band along with his wife Margie Owens' help.
Under his direction the Turner Middle School Band has an unblemished record
of Division One ratings in Concert and Sight Reading and has been chosen as
the "Outstanding Band" at the Sandy Lake Music Festival in Dallas
five out of six times. The band has also been named "Outstanding Band"
at the Festival in the Sticks in Maypearl and "Grand Champion Band"
at Beach Within Reach Festival in Haltom City.
Margie Owens
Volunteer Administrative Assistant for Turner Middle School Band
Mrs. Owens is a native of Oklahoma
where she earned her Bachelor of Elementary Education from Southeastern
Oklahoma State University. Before her retirement Mrs. Owens taught
fourth grade for twenty-six years. Mrs. Owens is a full time volunteer
at Turner Middle School where she assists her husband, Donnie Owens, with
the TMS Band. Band has been a way of life for Mr. and Mrs. Owens and
their three children. On the 5A track, Julie was an All-State Flutist
for two years, Steve was an All-State Trombonist for three years, and
David's was an Al-State Saxophonist for two years and was a member of the
McDonald's All American Jazz Band and Marching Band. Julie and family
live in Plano, David and family in Coppell and Steve's family reside in
Clear Lake.
Kendra Ray
Assistance Junior High Director - Finley 7th Grade Center
Miss Ray attended Waxahachie High
School and was a member of the Spirit of Waxahachie Indian Band as a
saxophone player. After graduating from Waxahachie in 2000, she went
on to pursue a music degree. She attended Stephen F. Austin State
University where she performed as a saxophonist in the Wind Ensemble & Jazz
Bands. After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University in
2004, Miss Ray was offered a teaching position at Turner Middle School.
She taught TAKS Math Enrichment fr the 2004-2005 school year. The
following year she was appointed to her current position as Assistance
Director at Waxahachie Junior High School.
Her professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association,
Texas Bandmasters Association, and Tau Beta Sigma.
Dan Francis
Head Junior High Director - Howard 8th Grade Center
Dan Francis is a native of Oklahoma and grew up in
Oklahoma City. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from
the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. Upon
graduation Mr. Francis accepted a position with the Oklahoma City Symphony
Orchestra and was a member of the orchestra for the next seven years.
Mr. Francis taught applied trumpet at Oklahoma Baptist University and the
University of Central Oklahoma while playing with the orchestra. Mr.
Francis obtained his Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois while continuing his playing
career in Oklahoma City. He was privileged to study trumpet with one
of the premier trumpet teachers in the nation, Vincent Cichowicza of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He also studied bad performance techniques
with John Paynet.
In 1991 Mr. Francis came to Texas and taught at Graham Middle School for the
next seven years. His bands at Graham were consistent winners of the
U.I.L. Sweepstakes award during his tenure. he Graham High School Band
was runner-up in the 3A Honor Band competition and advanced to the finals of
the State Marching Contest twice during his time in Graham. Mr.
Francis was the high school band director in Gainesville, Texas from
1998-2000. During that time the high school band received the second
U.I.L. Sweepstakes in the history of the school.
From 2000-2006 Mr. Francis has been the band director at Marsh Middle School
in Castleberry ISD in Ft. Worth, Texas. His band progressed from
IV/III at U.I.L. competition the year before he came to a U.I.L. Sweepstakes
in three years. The band also won the ATSB Outstanding Performance
Series Concert Selection category in 2003. The high school band at
Castleberry has advanced to the State Marching Contest twice and finished
fourth in the 3A Honor Band competition during his tenure.
Rich Armstrong
Director of Bands
Rich Armstrong is the Director of
Bands for the Waxahachie Independent School District and in his 22nd year as
a music educator. He taught in Duncanville and Arlington, Texas prior to
coming to Waxahachie. He serves as the conductor of the Wind Ensemble,
Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, and the director of the Marching Band. His
bands consistently earn Superior Ratings at U.I.L. Concert and Sight Reading
Contest and the Jazz Orchestra has been named the 4A Champion at the UTA and
TCU Jazz Festivals. In 2007 his Wind Ensemble was both Best in Class and
Grand Champion at the Winter Park Music Festival and was an Honor Band
Finalist. In 2008 his Wind Ensemble was Best in Class at the South Coast
Music Festival in Corpus Christi.
Rich graduated from MacAuthur High School in 1982, and then received a
Bachelors degree in Music Education and a Masters degree in Educational
Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has been an
active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United State, Canada,
Holland, and the West Indies in the areas of conducting, jazz, marching
band, and music education. Rich has served on the staffs of amny prominent
drum major and leadership camps and is responsible for the development and
implementation of the 2004 UTA Leadership Summer Camp curriculum.
Rich marched with the World Champion Garfield Cadets from 1980-1986 and was
the drum major for the 1984, 85, 86 seasons. Mr. Armstrong has served on
the staffs of the Cadets, Blue Devils, Carolina Crown, and the Dutch Boys
Drum and Bugles Corps in the areas of brass, marching, and administration.
His professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, IAJE, and USSBA. Rich
enjoys spending time with his wife Denise and their three children Micaiah,
Elijah and Lilyanna.
Reggie Cook
Assistant WHS Director
Reggie Cook attended Texas Christian University from
1994 to 1998 earning a Bachelor of music Education. Mr. Cook participated
in many ensembles including Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching
Band, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. His major instruments were percussion
and bass in which he was a student of Dr. Michael Kingan and Dr. NIck
Petrella. Upon graduation, he taught in Castleberry ISD in which the
marching band placed 3rd in the state marching contest and the middle school
placed second in the outstanding performance series. He taught three years
at Venus ISD at the middle school earning sweepstakes in 2007. Reggie has
been with WISD program since the Fall of 2007 and his High School Symphonic
Band earned sweepstakes at U.I.L. Concert and Sight Reading in Spring 2008.