If you would like to contact one of the Board members, please click on the person's name to email him or her.
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Beverly Emery President / Webmaster / Publicity Chair Bass Clarinet Beverly has been performing with Lone Star Symphonic Band since February 2004, and has been a member of the Board since May of the same year. Originally from Oklahoma, she attended high school in Katy at Mayde Creek High School, where she was involved in marching and concert bands, and played in the local community 4th of July celebrations. Attending college on music scholarships, she majored in Social Sciences, and works as a Routing Analyst at a food services distribution company. |
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Leslie Willig Vice President / Nominating Chair Clarinet Leslie has been a member of the Lone Star Symphonic Band since November of 2005 and a board member as of April of 2006. Originally from Lafayette, LA, Leslie moved to Houston at the age of 10. She graduated high school from Langham Creek under the direction of Scott McAdow. She initially wanted to be a veterinarian, but decided to go into music instead. Leslie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, and a Master of Music in Music Performance (Clarinet) from Loyola University New Orleans. She has studied clarinet with Dr. Mark Walters and Mr. John Reeks. She has performed with ensembles such as the San Juan Symphony in the four-corner area, and the Dukes of Dixieland on the riverboat Natchez in New Orleans. Her first teaching position was as a General Music, Choir and Assistant Band Director in Luling, LA (just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans), but after only 2 or 3 weeks of school she became a hurricane Katrina evacuee…soon after, Hurricane Rita hit Houston. Leslie is striving to be one of the best music teachers of today. Her biggest dream is to perform in a traveling ensemble, take up photography again to take pictures of and travel around the world. |
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Stephen B. Johnson Treasurer / Finance Chair / Strategic Planning Chair Euphonium Stephen has been a member of the Lone Star Symphonic Band since November of 1999 and has been a member of the Board since 2000. He was born in Houston and attended school in Katy at James E. Taylor High School. He attended college at Texas Tech University, obtaining both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting, with a Minor in Music Literature. At Texas Tech, Stephen was a member of the "Goin' Band from Raiderland," as well as a member of the University Concert Band and the "Court Jesters" Basketball Band. In addition to his service to the Band, he also volunteers as Orchestra Director at Memorial Lutheran Church in Katy. A licensed CPA, Stephen currently works as an Accountant for the Katy Independent School District. |
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Leslie Parish Secretary Bass Clarinet Leslie Parish was born and raised in Bristol, New Hampshire, where she began playing clarinet in fourth grade. In college, she played Eb soprano and Bb bass clarinet. After her freshman year in college, she dropped band to become a disc jockey at the college radio station and received her broadcaster’s license. After college, she went into the Army for four years, where she met her husband, David. They have lived in various places across the United States and in Germany. It wasn’t until her own three girls began their foray into the band world that she picked up the clarinet again. She gave private lessons to beginning band students in Cloudcroft, NM from 1997-1999, when they moved to Houston. In July 2002, she responded to an article in the Houston Chronicle and came to the then West Houston Concert Band, playing bass clarinet. She joined the board in 2003 and was elected secretary in 2004. Due to family concerns, she took most of 2007 off from the board and band, but came back in time for the 2007 Halloween concert. She has rejoined the board in 2008. Leslie is also the Music Worship leader and Choir Director at Liberation Baptist Church on Veteran’s Memorial Drive. She enjoys reading, cooking, watching old movies, and rescuing stray cats. |
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Michael Barron Member-at-Large Clarinet Michael Barron joined LSSB in 2006. He considers himself fortunate to have been able to study clarinet under Colin Lawson while attending the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland. He has continued to play clarinet as ‘keen amateur’ while working for BP in London, Cleveland & Houston, and more recently in 3 software startups including latest challengersoft.com. Michael looks up to his younger brother Derek, who was brave enough to undertake a music career as a professional pianist. Michael has been married to his wife Teresa for 22 years, & stays active by trying to keep up with his 2 teenage sons. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. |
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Bill Brawn Member-at-Large Bass Trombone Bill Brawn has served as band director in the public schools of Texas for 40 years full time, and 11 years part time. He has directed band in U.I.L. classifications ranging from AA through AAAAA. His bands were consistent sweepstakes winners in all classifications placing in the top 10 at state marching contest in 5A, 2A, and honor band in 2A, plus winning outstanding band awards at many state and national contests. Mr. Brawn's jazz bands were also winners at state and national contests. His band at Dobie High School was asked to perform at MENC. Bachelors and Masters degrees were earned, as well as teaching certificates ranging from elementary to superintendent. A member of Texas Bandmasters, Texas Music Educators, and Texas Music Adjudicators Associations, he judges and conducts clinics throughout the state. |
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R. Claude Burrows Member-At-Large Tuba Claude began his serious playing in high school. In World War II he was deferred as an engineering student. In order to serve, Claude joined the Texas State Guard and was assigned to the band where he began playing professionally with some of the men in the band. Claude enrolled in Texas Tech and played in dance bands. He joined the Navy and served in the Navy Air Corps in the Gulf and Atlantic. Claude played in bands while serving in the Navy. He graduated from Texas Tech and assisted area bands after graduation. Claude joined the Good Times Band, and the Lone Star Symphonic Band where he proudly serves on the board and will assist the band in any possible way. |
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Ricky Cook Member-At-Large Trumpet |
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Morten Lamoey Member-at-Large Percussion Morten joined the band in November 2004 and was elected to the board in January 2005. He is a native of Norway and moved back to the Houston area in 2003 with his wife Sandy, which he met and married while living in Houston in the early nineties. Morten has in the past played in community bands both in Norway, England and US, and enjoys playing with the Lone Star Symphonic Band, Houston Brass Band and occasionally with an ad-hoc band at the Norwegian Seaman's Church in Pasadena. Morten has a degree in Electronics from the Royal Norwegian Air Force where he also played with the only band in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Air Force Technical Academy's Band. After the military service Morten joined Schlumberger Ltd, where he worked his way up from Marine Seismic Exploration Navigator until he left as an IT Manager for Schlumberger's UK utility business in 2001. Morten is now the Managing Director of the worlds smallest international company 1-2-Access Limited, with one employee in the US and one in the UK, where he designs and sells service management systems for small to medium sized service companies. |
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Victor A. Robertson Member-at-Large Trumpet Victor has been a member of the Lone Star Symphonic Band since January 2003, on the board since March 2004, and recently elected vice-president. Originally from Missouri, he moved to Houston as an infant. He attended Spring Branch High School and the University of Houston on a full music scholarship. Vic was a member of the U.S. Army 7th Division Band in Korea. Before his retirement in December 2002, he worked as a commercial artist. Now he enjoys music, traveling with his wife, Sharon, fishing with his son, Jeff, and spending time with his two granddaughters, Kellyn and Nicole. |
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Mr. Robert McElroy Advisor to the Board of Directors Music Director, Houston Symphonic Band Robert McElroy is in demand throughout Texas, the United States and abroad for his skill, passion, and musicianship in the concert hall as well as in the classroom. His impressive career spans four decades of conducting bands, orchestras and choirs throughout the world, most recently at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. During his 30 years as an instructor of bands, choirs and orchestras in the Bellville, Texas schools and in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Mr. McElroy also had the opportunity of serving his profession in several local and statewide positions of leadership including chairman of the University Interscholastic League’s Prescribed Music Selection committee for concert band, executive board member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Band Division Chairman and ultimately president of the Texas Music Educators Association. Mr. McElroy is proud to be a consultant for Warner Brothers Publications, especially for their new Kindergarten through 12th grade music curriculum — ”Music Expressions.” Mr. McElroy is also currently the Music Director for the Houston Symphonic Band, a non-profit community band based in Houston, Texas. |
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Mr. Richard Crain Advisor to the Board of Directors Richard C. Crain served for 21 years as Director of Music for the prestigious Spring Independent School District in Houston, Texas, where he supervised the staff of 44 elementary and secondary music teachers. Prior to that time, he was the Head Band Director for award-winning bands in Spring ISD, Belton ISD, Temple ISD, and Mercedes ISD. Individually, his bands won first place in the AstroWorld Concert Band Festival, presented a feature concert at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade and won first place in the Parade of Champions marching contest, and was named third in the state in TMEA competition. His bands also won awards in festivals in Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, and Virginia as well as throughout Texas. All of his bands were sweepstakes bands; and several were Honor Band of their region numerous times. Crain is active as a clinician/guest conductor of honor groups throughout Texas and in Nevada, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Colorado. He has served frequently as an adjudicator/evaluator for festivals and contests throughout the United States and Canada. Crain has lectured in numerous universities in Texas and throughout the US and Canada and has served as a consultant to school district music programs in Texas and several other states. |