Lafayette-Jefferson Band Department - Band Directors

Band Directors

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Band Directors

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Tom Barker	Director of Bands, Jefferson High School Thomas W. Barker, Jr. is the Director of Bands and the Music Department Specialist at Lafayette Jefferson High School. He has served in this capacity since 1998. Prior to accepting the position at Jefferson High School, Mr. Barker served as the director of bands at Sunnyside Middle School and assistant director at Jefferson High School. Now in his 34th year of teaching, Mr. Barker started his career at Unity High School in Tolono, Illinois and then spent ten years as director at Tri-County High School in Wolcott, Indiana. Mr. Barker did his undergraduate work at East Carolina University and received his Masters in Music Education from the University of Illinois. At East Carolina, he was a member of the Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. During his time at Illinois, he was a member of the Large Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr. Harry Begian. In 1998, Mr. Barker received the Golden Apple Award For Excellence in Teaching. This award is given annually to teachers in the Greater Lafayette area by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. At the 2005 Indiana Music Educators Convention he was awarded the Outstanding High School Music Educator of the year. Mr. Barker was elected into the Phi Beta Mu professional fraternity in 2005 and was awarded the Outstanding Band Director of the Year in January of 2011. Mr. Barker has been a guest conductor and performer with the Lafayette Citizen's Band. He has been an adjudicator for the Indiana State School Music Association. He has guest conducted the Indiana All Region Band on several occasions. He is on the ISSMA state board and served as President in 2004 He has served on the IMEA convention planning board. He has been a guest clinician for several area high school bands. Concert bands under Mr. Barker's direction have consistently received superior ratings at ISSMA events. The Jefferson Wind Ensemble was selected in 1999 as the Purdue University Honor Band. In 2000, 2001,2002, 2003, 2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2010,2011 the Jefferson Wind Ensemble qualified for the prestigious ISSMA State Concert Band Finals. The Wind Ensemble was also selected to perform for the Indiana State University Wind Band Festival in 2002. Marching Bands that have been under Mr. Barker's direction have performed at the Apple Blossom Festival Parade, Opryland, Hollywood Christmas Parade, Walt Disney Mulan Parade Kentucky Derby Parade , Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade, The Jefferson Marching Band qualified for State Marching Band Finals in 2001,2005 and most recently in 2010 received the highest rating since 1985. The marching band will be performing in 2011 in the Hollywood Santa Parade in Hollywood California. His wife Debbie is an elementary music teacher in the Tri-County School Corporation. They have two grown children both married. Their daughter Sarah graduated from Butler University majoring in Music Education and is presently at home taking care of Mr. Barker’s two wonderful grandchildren, Tucker and Tessa. Her husband, Nathan is Associate Pastor at Ridge United Methodist church in Munster IN. Their son John is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and is presently an Associate Engineer for Aerojet Corporation. He and his wife Melissa live in Sacramento, California.
Ned Boyd	Director of Bands, Sunnyside Middle SchoolNed Boyd is currently a Band Director in grades 6-12 in Lafayette, IN. (primarily 6th grade @ Sunnyside MS). He is also taught Saxophone at Purdue University for 13 years. Mr. Boyd earned his Bachelor of Music Degree (and HS Diploma) in Saxophone Performance at the North Carolina School of the Arts under the tuteledge of James Houlik; and MM in Education, with Jazz Emphasis from the Eastman School of Music. Prior to teaching in Syracuse, NY., Logansport & Lafayette, Ned was employed for two years as a musician on cruise ships, where he met his (hoosier) wife, Jean. He has performed with Bernadette Peters, Mac Davis, Susan Anton, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Ben Vereen, Wayne Newton, Sally Struthers, Kathy Rigby, Bob Newhart; the big bands of Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk, and the Dorsey Brothers. He has recently appeared with the Temptations and the Four Tops. Mr. Boyd is a frequent soloist and HS/Collegiate adjudicator; and, in the last three years, he has been a featured soloist/clinician with Jefferson HS, Tecumseh MS, Twin Lakes HS, Concord HS, Harrison HS, Pioneer HS, Renssalear HS, Purdue Symphonic & Jazz bands, Duquesne University, Anderson College, Kokomo Park Band, Indiana Music Educators Conference, and most recently with Wayne Brady. Ned has presented Masterclasses at Indiana State U., Duquesne U. and North Central HS. Last Spring, Mr. Boyd was the Guest Soloist performing with the Ball State University Faculty Jazz Combo in Muncie. In January, 2012, Ned will be performing at the International association of Jazz Educators Conference in Louisville. Mr. Boyd is available for jazz and/or classical solo performances and/or clinics.
Bruce Knepper	Asst. Director of Bands, Jefferson High School Bruce Knepper is a native of Logansport, Indiana. He has a music education degree from Valparaiso University and a Masters degree in trumpet performance from Indiana University. His early professional career included playing trumpet at Kings Island theme park north of Cincinnati, and four years playing on cruise ships, with such lines as Carnival, Holland America, and the "love boats" of Princess Cruises. In addition to his teaching responsibilities with the Lafayette School Corporation, Mr. Knepper teaches trumpet at Purdue University, performs as a soloist at weddings, plays with the Kokomo Park Band, Kokomo Symphony, Lafayette Citizens Band, Lafayette Symphony (substitute), Los Blancos Latin Jazz Band, and "Double Exposure," an Indianapolis private event band. In the past few years, he has worked with such artists as Bobby Vinton, Mary Wilson & The Supremes, Bob Newhart, and Anne Murray. He enjoys spending time with his wife Kelley, their son Kyle, and is very active at his church in Logansport.
Jeff Parthun	Director of Bands, Tecumseh Middle School Jeffrey T. Parthun, Sr. is Director of Bands at Tecumseh Middle School and Assistant Director at Jefferson High School in Lafayette. His duties currently include all levels of concert band, marching band, percussion ensemble, and middle school jazz band. He has instructed all levels of band and orchestra and has taught Applied Percussion at Purdue University. In high school he studied percussion with Prof. Bob Tilles at DePaul University and the legendary Roy C. Knapp, whose students included Louis Bellson and Gene Krupa, in Chicago. He attended Northwestern University where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree (1982) with minors in percussion pedagogy / performance and conducting. His teachers included conductor John P. Paynter, percussionist Dr. Terry Applebaum, and drumset specialist Tony Caselli. He earned a Master of Music degree from Butler University (1987) and studied conducting with Jackson Wiley. Throughout his 20 year career as a public school music teacher (17 of those in the Lafayette School Corporation) he has remained active as a performer, arranger, clinician and adjudicator. He has performed with the Bach Chorale, Lafayette Citizens Band, Lafayette Symphony, Kokomo Park Band, Kokomo Symphony, Opera d'Lafayette, and many jazz and dance groups including the Los Blancos Latin Jazz Band, Judd Danby Quartet, Tony Zamora, Ray Gretencord, the Gentlemen of Note, the Lords of the Dance Band, and Ken Double with the Long Center All-Stars. His marching band arrangements have been performed by Purdue University, Ball State University, Northwestern University, Bucknell University, and many mid-western high schools, including Lafayette Jefferson, Lincoln-Way (New Lenox, Illinois), Twin Lakes and Paoli. He lives in Lafayette with his wife, Kim, and their four children. His oldest son works in West Lafayette after being honorably discharged from the Army.

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