47 min
Ep. 8 - Kevin Cranston: Head Director, Reading Junior High The Band Director's Survival Guide Podcast
-
- Education
My guest today is Kevin Cranston, a 25 year band director who is a shining example of humility, leadership, and enthusiasm. He consistently pushes his and program to excellence, achieving a coveted performance spot at the Midwest Clinic in 2014. He maintains discipline, musicality, and fun in his band hall simultaneously.
About Kevin Cranston:
Originally from Clarence, New York, Kevin Cranston is pleased to be a band director at Antoinette Reading Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
Mr. Cranston was a 4 year member of the Clarence Wind Ensemble at Clarence Central Senior High School under the direction of Ronald A. Sutherland. In the fall of 1987 he was selected for participation in the New York All State Band, and in the fall of 1988, he was selected for the New York All State Wind Ensemble. Subsequently, he was selected to perform as principal trombone in the MENC All Eastern Orchestra in the spring of 1989 in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Cranston was fortunate to have a full scholarship to the Hartt School of Music where he studied trombone with Dr. Ronald Borror, conducting with Gene Young, and took music education classes with Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. John Feierabend. Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree in music education, Kevin accepted a graduate assistantship in wind conducting at Eastern Illinois University where he studied with Dr. Bruce Moss and Dr. Joseph Manfredo. As a trombonist, Mr. Cranston has performed with the New Haven Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Waterbury (CT) Symphony and the Danville (IL) Symphony. He served as principal trombone with the Danville Symphony for 5 of his 8 seasons with the orchestra. He has also been privileged to perform on Emmy Award winning soundtracks on the Callan Films productions of “Weathered Secrets”, “More Than A Game” and “A Time For Honor”. He enjoyed working as a narrator for the production of “An Uphill Climb” with Emmy Award Winning producer, composer and writer, Craig Lindvahl.
Kevin began his teaching career in 1995 at Teutopolis Junior High School in Teutopolis, Illinois. The bands in “T-Town” found success at region band festivals and annual performances of the “Star Spangled Banner” for the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He received a “Cool School Teacher Award” in 2002; an award given by the I.E.A. to 16 Illinois teachers based on a student nomination/essay. Mr. Cranston also enjoyed success coaching the junior varsity baseball and varsity soccer teams at Teutopolis High School. In 2002, he received the Decatur Herald & Review Varsity Soccer Coach of the Year Award.
Mr. Cranston and his wife, Sarah, moved to the Houston Area in 2003 when Sarah won the principal horn position with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. At that time, Mr. Cranston was hired as band director at Lamar Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D. After enjoying 7 years of growth and success with wonderful students at Lamar Junior High School, Mr. Cranston followed many students and band families to Antoinette Reading Junior High School when it opened in 2010. During the 17 years Mr. Cranston has been fortunate to teach in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D., his bands have received consecutive “Superior” ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests. In 2010, Mr. Cranston was named Teacher of the Year at Lamar Junior High School. And in 2014, he was named Teacher of the Year at Antoinette Reading Junior High School and Secondary Teacher of the Year for Lamar CISD. The Honors Band at Antoinette Reading Junior High School performs the “Star Spangled Banner” annually for the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. All ARJH bands make an annual recording at Stude Hall at Rice University with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Andy Bradley.
Kevin lives in Sugar Land, TX with wife Sarah, their twin boys, Will and Tim, and daughter, Emma.
About Band
My guest today is Kevin Cranston, a 25 year band director who is a shining example of humility, leadership, and enthusiasm. He consistently pushes his and program to excellence, achieving a coveted performance spot at the Midwest Clinic in 2014. He maintains discipline, musicality, and fun in his band hall simultaneously.
About Kevin Cranston:
Originally from Clarence, New York, Kevin Cranston is pleased to be a band director at Antoinette Reading Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
Mr. Cranston was a 4 year member of the Clarence Wind Ensemble at Clarence Central Senior High School under the direction of Ronald A. Sutherland. In the fall of 1987 he was selected for participation in the New York All State Band, and in the fall of 1988, he was selected for the New York All State Wind Ensemble. Subsequently, he was selected to perform as principal trombone in the MENC All Eastern Orchestra in the spring of 1989 in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Cranston was fortunate to have a full scholarship to the Hartt School of Music where he studied trombone with Dr. Ronald Borror, conducting with Gene Young, and took music education classes with Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. John Feierabend. Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree in music education, Kevin accepted a graduate assistantship in wind conducting at Eastern Illinois University where he studied with Dr. Bruce Moss and Dr. Joseph Manfredo. As a trombonist, Mr. Cranston has performed with the New Haven Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Waterbury (CT) Symphony and the Danville (IL) Symphony. He served as principal trombone with the Danville Symphony for 5 of his 8 seasons with the orchestra. He has also been privileged to perform on Emmy Award winning soundtracks on the Callan Films productions of “Weathered Secrets”, “More Than A Game” and “A Time For Honor”. He enjoyed working as a narrator for the production of “An Uphill Climb” with Emmy Award Winning producer, composer and writer, Craig Lindvahl.
Kevin began his teaching career in 1995 at Teutopolis Junior High School in Teutopolis, Illinois. The bands in “T-Town” found success at region band festivals and annual performances of the “Star Spangled Banner” for the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He received a “Cool School Teacher Award” in 2002; an award given by the I.E.A. to 16 Illinois teachers based on a student nomination/essay. Mr. Cranston also enjoyed success coaching the junior varsity baseball and varsity soccer teams at Teutopolis High School. In 2002, he received the Decatur Herald & Review Varsity Soccer Coach of the Year Award.
Mr. Cranston and his wife, Sarah, moved to the Houston Area in 2003 when Sarah won the principal horn position with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. At that time, Mr. Cranston was hired as band director at Lamar Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D. After enjoying 7 years of growth and success with wonderful students at Lamar Junior High School, Mr. Cranston followed many students and band families to Antoinette Reading Junior High School when it opened in 2010. During the 17 years Mr. Cranston has been fortunate to teach in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D., his bands have received consecutive “Superior” ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests. In 2010, Mr. Cranston was named Teacher of the Year at Lamar Junior High School. And in 2014, he was named Teacher of the Year at Antoinette Reading Junior High School and Secondary Teacher of the Year for Lamar CISD. The Honors Band at Antoinette Reading Junior High School performs the “Star Spangled Banner” annually for the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. All ARJH bands make an annual recording at Stude Hall at Rice University with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Andy Bradley.
Kevin lives in Sugar Land, TX with wife Sarah, their twin boys, Will and Tim, and daughter, Emma.
About Band
47 min