Christine Cleary- Flute
Stinejay@yahoo.com
Christine Cleary is a private flute instructor and freelance flutist in the DFW area. She has flute performance degrees from Kent State University and Ohio University. After earning her Master's degree in flute she moved to Texas to pursue full time private teaching. She is married to Woodwinds specialist, Mark Dooly, and they have two children. She is also a partner with T4 Music mentor, a nationally marketed online video private lesson program and part owner of doolywoodwinds.com, which provides woodwind accessories.
Kristen Beene- Oboe
klbeene@gmail.com
Kristen Lindenberger Beene is happy to be back in her home state after over thirty years of of enjoying an active career in music and raising her children. As a three time All State Oboist and Graduate from MacArthur HS in Irving, TX, she went on to Graduate from Baylor University with Bachelor Degrees in both Music Performance and Music Education. While pursuing a Master’s degree in Music at SMU, Ms Beene performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Ballet Orchestra and many local groups, as well as teaching 45 oboe students each week. As her life expanded, she left Texas, beginning with a 6 year position in the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, then 3 years with the Lansing Symphony in Michigan, 17 years with the Toledo Symphony orchestra, 6 Years as principal oboe with the Ann Arbor Symphony and ending with her favorite position of all, Principal Oboe of the Michigan Opera Theater for 10 years. In addition, she played often with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit chamber Winds as well as many exciting performances with amazing musician friends along the way.
Ms Beene has traveled extensively, performing with festival orchestras numerous times, including St Barthelemy Festival de Musique, French West Indies, Strings in the Mountains, Steamboat Springs, CO., Bellingham Festival of Music, Bellingham, WA., Basically Bach Music Festival Anchorage, Alaska, Colorado Music Festival, Boulder, CO, Sunflower Music Festival, Topeka, KS, as well as a a two week European tour with the Wichita Symphony, playing in some of the greatest Halls in Europe and a performance at the WASBE conference in Lucerne Switzerland with the Detroit Chamber Winds.
Kristen has always maintained a private teaching studio, as well as serving on adjunct faculties at University of Toledo, Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Rice University in Houston as well as a semester sabbatical replacement position teaching Oboe at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
She is currently living in the DFW area, enjoying a very full teaching schedule as well as performing with old and new colleagues alike in a variety of musical groups as needed, including the Ft. Worth Symphony, the Lawton Philharmonic and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, as well as Churches in the DFW area. Kristen Lindenberger Beene has two wonderful children. Ryan Beene is a journalist with Automotive News in Washington, DC. and Katy Beene is an Anthropologist working in Seattle, Washingington.
Nicole Lara- Bassoon
anicolelara@yahoo.com
Jeanene Johnson- Clarinet/Saxophone
Jeanene@jeckylphoto.com
Jeanene Loppolo Johnson graduated Magna Cum Laude from TWU with a Bachelor in Music Education. She served as the Principal Clarinetist in the Wind Ensemble and Lead Alto in Jazz Band II. She also participated in Sigma Alpha Iota and served as Editor, Treasurer and VP Ritual. She received the SAI Honor Award, SAI Scholastic Award, SAI Leadership Award and was twice the recipient of the SAI Marjory Murphy Scholarship Award. She was also selected for the Presidential Honors Concert, was awarded Music Major of the Year, and participated as an officer in Alpha Chi, Kappa Delta Pi and Mortar Board Honor Societies.
Jeanene graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas Christian University with a Masters in Clarinet Performance. She was awarded a graduate assistantship under professor Gary Whitman. She served as the Principal Clarinetist of the TCU Wind Symphony as well as the Principal Clarinetist of TCU Symphony Orchestra. She is featured on TCU's compact disk, Regenesis - Music Of Renewal performing the extended clarinet solo on Alfred Reed's Variations on the "Porazzi" Theme of Richard Wagner. She was also selected for membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society and served as substitute Principal Clarinet in the Los Colinas Symphony.
Jeanene is an active clinician, performer and private teacher in the DFW area. She has been a featured soloist in many short film and full feature film compositions of DFW composer Douglas Edward. She has taught clarinet and saxophone lessons since 2006 in GCISD and has also taught clarinet sectionals & ensembles for the TCU Summer Band Program since 2009. Jeanene also served as Adjunct Professor of Clarinet and Director of Clarinet ensembles at Tarleton State University from 2007-2012. She is an active member of Texas Music Educators Association and The International Clarinet Association. She enjoys all things clarinet, running, baking, taking photographs with her husband Stephen and spending time with her awesome 2 year old Christian!
Randy Graham- Trumpet
randygretag@sbcglobal.net
Randy Graham has been teaching trumpet lessons privately for over 25 years, the last 13 of those years have been in GCISD. He received a bachelors degree in Music Education from WTAMU and attended UNT graduate school to focus on Jazz Studies. Mr. Graham currently performs in many groups in the DFW from classical to jazz as well as easy listening to the hardest of rock. He has been involved in the DFW live music scene for the past 20 years. He is also a vocalist (but don't tell anybody). He can be heard on 10 CD's. He has also performed with many famous people such as Harry Connick, Jr. and Elvira, just to name a couple. Mr. Graham is excited to continue to teach in GCISD and help the music program grow with great trumpet players!
Gerry Wood- French Horn
geraldwoodhorn@gmail.com
Gerald “Gerry” Wood is currently Third Horn in the Dallas Opera Orchestra and Assistant Principal Horn in the Dallas Winds (Formerly the Dallas Wind Symphony) in addition to being a frequent utility player for the both the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphonies. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Texas Arlington, Gerry holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education (Stephen F. Austin State University), a Masters in Horn Performance (University of Southern Mississippi) and is currently ABD in a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Horn Performance (University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana). His playing experience runs the gamut of performance ensembles. You name it, he's probably played in it. He has marched with The Cavalier Drum and Bugle Corps, played in numerous regional orchestras and nationally renowned chamber ensembles, including the American Wind Symphony Orchestra and is a founding member of the internationally renowned Horn quartet The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse. He is a very busy guy with regular engagements with the Dallas Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Dallas Wind Symphony, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra and many more. Gerry hasn't had hair on his head since he was twenty or so and, don't worry, his kids don't find him funny either!
Amanda Kana- Trombone
amandamkana@gmail.com
Amanda Kana is an active freelance trombone instructor and performer in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. A native of Katy, Texas, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Baylor University and her Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Texas Christian University. Her teachers include Dr. David Begnoche, Brent Phillips, and Bart Plumb.
Ms. Kana currently teaches in the Grapevine-Colleyville and Keller school districts and at Bethesda Christian School. Her students consistently earn positions in the Texas All-Region and All-State bands, and many have continued their studies at the collegiate level.
In addition to teaching, Ms Kana regularly performs with Center Stage Brass, a professional brass ensemble in DFW, and since 2016, has spent many of her summers touring Germany with the brass ensemble Eurobrass. She has performed numerous ensembles in the metroplex, including the Irving Symphony Orchestra, the Jazz Monsters of Fort Worth, the Northeast Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, and Triumvirate Brass Trio.
Randil Jeffreys- Euphonium/Tuba
euphoniumlessons@gmail.com
Mr. Jeffreys started playing euphonium in the 6th grade and has been playing low brass for almost 20 years now! Randil studied Music Education at the University of Houston (Go Coogs!), Euphonium Performance at Idaho State University, and completed a Masters of Arts in Brass Performance at the University of Iowa where he served as the Tuba/Euphonium Studio Teaching Assistant. He has been teaching in the DFW area for 3 years now, teaching both private lessons and marching bands across the metroplex. In addition, he has also taught drum corps with the Colt Cadets (as Brass Caption Head) and at The Cavaliers, where he also marched for several seasons winning multiple world championships. Randil absolutely loves playing his instrument, but loves helping young students realize their abilities and fostering their love for music even more!
Daniel Darrah- Percussion
dandarrah@dwdpercussion.com
Daniel Wyn Darrah has been working as a percussion consultant at CHHS since 2003, and is currently the Assistant Director of Percussion. He received his Bachelors of Music degree in percussion performance from the University of Montana studying with Dr. Robert Ledbetter. Daniel went on to study percussion at the University of North Texas, where he received his Masters degree in Music Performance, studying under Mark Ford and Christopher Deane. As a member of the prestigious UNT Wind Symphony and Graduate Percussion Ensemble, Dan has been involved in numerous recording projects and performed at many regional and national conventions, such as the CBDNA, TMEA and PASIC.
While at UNT, Daniel served as a teaching fellow, directing several ensembles while teaching lessons and classes. In 2008, Daniel was the assistant director of the PASIC Champion UNT Indoor Drum Line, working alongside Paul Rennick. In 2009, he received the Outstanding Graduate Student in Percussion award. In 2010 he served on the faculty at the University of Montana as the Director of Percussion. He is currently working to finish his PhD in percussion at UNT.
Daniel has been teaching in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 2003. He has served as a consultant, arranger, instructor for both classical percussion ensembles and drumline front ensembles, and private lesson teacher within several school districts. He has devoted most of his time at CHHS. While at CHHS the percussion program has earned multiple awards and honors including marching percussion champions of the Plano Drum Line Competition, Lone Star Classic, and outstanding front ensemble at the PASIC Marching Festival and Lone Star Classic in 2012.
Daniel joined the Blue Knights Drum Corps instructional staff in 2006 serving as the front ensemble instructor. While with the Blue Knights, he has had several I&E winners, including Best Front Ensemble in 2007 and 2010 with works that he arranged and directed. In 2011, Daniel became part of the design team for the Blue Knights as one of the percussion arrangers and served as percussion caption head in 2012.