About the Frenship Band

Frenship ISD is a 4A school district located four miles from Lubbock on the sprawling South Plains of Texas. The Frenship ISD Band Program is comprised of over 600 of the finest musicians in Texas. Our program is spread over three campuses and incorporates grades 6 through 12. Our unique team-teaching concepts allow us to coordinate our efforts as we strive to promote the outstanding band program within our schools. We continue to build on the traditions that have been established in the past and will develop new ones throughout each school year.

We believe that every individual in our program is very important to our success; therefore, we challenge every student and parent to strive for the highest level of involvement. Our success is possible through the spirit of cooperation, dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work.

Meet the Frenship Band Staff

Mr. Tom SoRelle - Director of Instrumental Music, Frenship ISD
Tom SoRelle is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University and now resides in Lubbock with his wife Kathy and granddaughter Leah.  He has 42 years experience teaching music and band in the public schools of Texas.   He previously taught band and elementary music for Littlefield, Springlake-Earth and Texas City public schools.  He is presently Head Band Director and Director of Instrumental Music for the Frenship ISD in Wolfforth, Texas.  His bands have been consistent Sweepstakes winners in Texas UIL competitions and have been finalists in TMEA state Honor Band competitions as well as the Texas State Marching Contest.  Mr. SoRelle is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Adjudicator’s Association, Phi Beta Mu, Honorary Band Director’s Fraternity, and was honored in August of 2000 by Band World Magazine and the Sousa Foundation by induction into membership of the Bandworld Legion of Honor.

Mr. SoRelle served as Band Chair for TMEA Region 17 from 1988 to 1995.  He served as Vice-President and Texas State Band Chair for the Texas Music Educators Association in 1995-1997, and then President of TMEA in 1997-1999.  He is presently serving as President of Region 16 and Area A Auditions Chair for TMEA.

Mr. Scott Carter - Associate Director of Bands/Marching Coordinator
Scott M. Carter serves as Associate Director of Bands at Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas.  During his tenure, bands under the direction of Mr. Carter have received numerous UIL Sweepstakes Awards including five appearances at the UIL 4A State Marching Championships.  Following a simple notion that, by helping to make better people, better musicians will emerge, Mr. Carter continues to seek for each individual that which will unlock the secrets to their own success.

Mr. Carter is a native of San Saba, Texas, and graduated from San Saba High School, where he was named 1st chair trumpet of the Texas All-State Band. His Bachelor of Music degree was earned from Texas Tech University in 1999. While attending Texas Tech, Mr. Carter studied conducting with Gary Lewis (now at the University of Colorado at Boulder) and trumpet with Will Strieder.  He was a member of the University Concert Band, the University Singers, and the Court Jesters. He proudly served for two years as Drum Major of the nationally famous "Goin' Band from Raiderland", which in 1999, received the Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Trophy.

Mr. Carter holds memberships in Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, and is an alumnus of the national band fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi.

In the summer, Mr. Carter has served as an instructor at the Texas Tech University Band/Orchestra Camp, loves traveling, photography, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Tammy, have one son, Daniel, and one daughter, Nicole, and reside in Lubbock, Texas.

Mr. Geoff Bissett - Assistant Director/Brass Specialist
Mr. Geoff Bissett is beginning his 724^th year at Frenship High School.  His experience has taken him across the globe as a teacher, instructor, and performer.  He is a former member of the Air Force Band.  He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas, and a Masters degree from Texas Tech University.

Mr. David Speer - Assistant Director/Percussion Coordinator
Mr. Speer is beginning his 7^th year at Frenship.  Born and raised in Austin, TX, Mr. Speer graduated from Westwood High School.  He then attended the University of Texas.  Mr. Speer's teaching career has included Cedar Park HS and Vista Ridge HS (both Leander ISD), and Frenship.

Mr. Speer maintains memberships in the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Conference, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Bodyworks Gym.  He attempts to attend annual meetings for each.

He and his wife, Tamara, have one son, Jackson.  They also have two pets: Isis the black cat, and Hera, a black lab mix.

Ms. Leighann Noel - Assistant Director/Woodwind Specialist
Born and raised in Rockwall, TX, Ms. Noel graduated from Rockwall High School and attended college at the University of North Texas. She graduated from UNT in May 2010 with Bachelor Degrees in Music Education and Clarinet Performance. Ms. Noel is new to the Frenship Band Staff in 2010-2011, and serves as Assistant Director and Woodwind Specialist at FHS. Her professional affiliations are Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, International Clarinet Association and Mu Phi Epsilon.

Ms. Noel lives in Lubbock with her dog, Shooter, and is very excited about her first year teaching at Frenship!

Mrs. June Bearden - Director of Bands, Frenship Middle School
Mrs. June Bearden is starting her 21^st year of teaching and is beginning her 12^th year as Director of Bands at Frenship Middle School in Wolfforth, Texas.  Mrs. Bearden graduated from Wichita Falls High School, followed by Texas Tech University where she earned a bachelor of Music Education with primary study on French Horn.

Her bands have been consistent festival and University Interscholastic League Sweepstakes Award winners.  Mrs. Bearden was selected as Teacher of the Year at Atkins Junior High School in Lubbock and awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers.  Mrs. Bearden directs each summer at the Texas Tech Summer Band/Orchestra Camp.  Her teaching career has included the Texas school districts of Monahans, Plainview, Lubbock and Frenship.

Mrs. Bearden's professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Tau Beta Sigma life member, Kappa Kappa Psi honorary member, Mu Phi Epsilon life member.

Mrs. Bearden is married to Keith Bearden and they enjoy sharing life with family & friends in Lubbock, Texas.  Her hobbies and interests include travel, cats, photography/scrapbooking and outdoor activities.

Ms. Ruby Rivas - Assistant Director, Frenship Middle School
Ms. Rivas joins the Frenship Band Staff in 2010-2011 as Assistant Director at Frenship Middle School and also serves as a Woodwind Specialist with FHS.  She is originally from El Paso, TX, and is a graduate of Texas Tech University.

Mrs. Ashley Blount - Director of Bands, Terra Vista Middle School
Ashley Blount is in her 5^th year on the Frenship Band staff and 7^th year of teaching in Texas. She has played a key role in the growth of the TVMS Band from day one of the school's opening, serving as Assistant Director for two years prior to being named Director of Bands for Terra Vista Middle School in 2008. Since 2006, the program has enjoyed consistent success at all grade levels and ensembles. Ashley is the primary director for the Varsity, or Gold Band which earned its fourth consecutive UIL Sweepstakes rating under her direction during the 2010 UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest. She assists Justin Mauldin with the Non-Varsity, or Blue Band, and is the lead teacher for the growing Beginning Band. In 2010, the TVMS Beginning/Intermediate Band, under Mrs. Blount's direction, was awarded "Best in Class" for the Greater Southwest Music Festival in Amarillo, Texas; the highest honor for any band by classification.

Mrs. Blount is a graduate of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas where she studied flute as her primary instrument with Ms. Margaret Redcay, earning her degree in Music Education and minoring in Management and Marketing. Ashley and her husband, Bradley Blount, of Hale Center, celebrated two years of marriage in March of 2010 in Hawaii with the Frenship HS Band as they toured and performed in Honolulu. They currently live in Lubbock with their two dogs, Marley and Burton, and one cat, Mac.

Mr. Justin Mauldin - Assistant Director, Terra Vista Middle School
Mr. Mauldin is beginning his 6^th year of teaching, and his 3^rd at Frenship Terra Vista.  Mr. Mauldin attended high school in Dumas, TX, where he was a member of the Texas All-State Band playing tuba.  He received a Bachelor of Music with Teaching Certification degree from Texas Tech University in 2004.

Mr. Mauldin's professional memberships include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Kappa Kappa Psi.