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Kennesaw
Mountain High |
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Mr. David Starnes, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, received his Bachelors of Science degree with honors, from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1988. He joined the music faculty at Kennesaw Mountain High School in February of 2000 where he now serves as the Director of Bands. In the brief history of Kennesaw Mountain High School, his bands have received all superior ratings in concert festival and marching band performances. Kennesaw Mountain High School Marching Band is a consistent finalist at Bands of America Regional events, winning the Grand Champion Award at the 2002 BOA Johnson City Regional and placing 7th in the 2002 Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Kennesaw Mountain High School Marching Band was awarded the Sudler Shield from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in December of 2002. In his 15 years of teaching, he has served as the Associate Director of Bands at Dunwoody High School, the Director of Bands at McCleskey Middle School, Hightower Trail Middle School, and the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Percussion Studies at Pope High School, all in the state of Georgia. Under his direction, his band and percussion ensembles have consistently received high recognition as some of the finest in the United States. The Pope High School Symphonic II Band performed at the 1998 inaugural Bands of America Regional Concert Band Festival held in Atlanta. His bands have consistently attended G.M.E.A. band festivals for the last 13 years. Mr. Starnes is active as a guest clinician and conductor for symphonic bands. He is sought after as a music arranger and adjudicator for symphonic bands and percussion ensembles throughout the United States and Canada. In 1999, the Pope High School Percussion Ensemble appeared at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Columbus, Ohio, where they performed with P.A.S. Hall of Fame member, Mr. Bob Becker. They were selected as the winner for the International “Call For Tapes” contest and won the right to perform in the Showcase Concert at this Convention. As well, this ensemble performed at such prestigious conventions as the 52nd Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago with Grammy Award winner, Paul Wertico, from the Pat Metheny Group, as a guest drum set artist. In 1998 the ensemble performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis as a part of the Percussion Festival. He has been affiliated in judging with such organizations as Bands of America, Drum Corps International, where he served as the Percussion and Caption Head from 1998-2002, Winter Guard International, The Southeastern Color Guard Circuit, the Indiana State School Music Association, and the Michigan Competing Bands Association. Currently, he serves as a member of the Bands of America Advisory Board and acts as a judge liaison to high school band directors who participate in the Bands of America activity. He is an educational clinician for Innovative Percussion and is a Yamaha clinician/educator. He served as the Georgia Chapter President for the Percussive Arts Society from 1998-2000. His professional memberships include Music Educators National Conference, The Percussive Arts Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and The Georgia Music Educators Association. As well, he was recently added in the 1997 edition of Who’s Who Among American Teachers Listing. Mr. Starnes has been involved in the drum and bugle corps activity for over 16 years. He performed with Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps in 1986 and served as a program coordinator and percussion and caption head for Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from 1990-1993, winning back-to-back DCI Division II Championships and High Percussion Awards in 1991 and 1992. He currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps from Jacksonville, Alabama. Mr. Starnes and his wife, Rhea Jeanne are residents of Kennesaw, Georgia. Mr. Starnes has an eight-year-old daughter, Hannah, who attends elementary school in Cobb County. |
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