Mark R. Walker is completing his thirtieth year as a music educator and band director in the Ouachita Parish area. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana and a graduate of Fair Park High School, Mr. Walker received the Bachelor of Music education degree in 1976 and the Master of Music Education degree in 1982 from Northeast Louisiana University.  He also earned +30 graduate hours from Louisiana Tech and Northeast Louisiana University. In 1996, Mr. Walker received the Education Specialist degree upon completion of his thesis entitled Preparation, Procedures, and Guidelines for the Pre-Service Teacher in Instrumental Music Education at NortheastLouisianaUniversity. This thesis has been utilized as a textbook for graduate level and undergraduate level instruction at NLU. Mr. Walker was a conducting student of Mr. Jack White (Director of Bands, Northeast Louisiana University), Dr. Joe Barry Mullins (Director of Bands, University of Southern Mississippi), Mr. Howard Dunn (Director of Bands, Southern Methodist University), and Mr. Ray Young (Director of Bands, Louisiana Tech University).

After serving as the Director of Music at Ridgedale Academy in West Monroe for one year, Mr. Walker accepted the position as Director of Bands at West Monroe Junior High and remained there for thirteen years. While at West Monroe Junior High, the band program grew into one of largest programs in Louisiana. Under Mr. Walker’s direction, the West Monroe Junior High School Symphonic Band received superior ratings at the District and State level of the Louisiana Music Educators Large Ensemble Festival and in  1987 the WMJH Symphonic Band was selected the Outstanding Junior High Band by the Louisiana BandMasters Association. Also in 1987, The West Monroe Junior High Symphonic Band received national recognition by being selected as  "Best in Class" and  "Best Overall Band" at the Dixie Classic Band Festival held in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Walker has served in various teaching capacities, both in public and private schools as well as at the college level. Mr. Walker has taught instrumental music in grades 5 through 12 and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Walker is serving as the Instrumental Music Coordinator for the Ouachita Parish School System and is active as a guest conductor.

Mr. Walker resides in West Monroe and has been married twenty-eight years to his wife, Kathy. They have four children; Kristin, 23; Brandon, 21; Ashley, 19; and Sean, 15.

Herb Bassett
Assistant Executive Director

Herbert W. Bassett has promoted music education in Northeast Louisiana for the past 23 years, serving as band director of Tallulah High School, Vidalia High School, and Caldwell Parish High School prior to his current position at LaSalle and Jena High Schools.  Mr. Bassett is a member of M. E. N. C., L. M. E. A., Phi Beta Mu, and District I Band Directors' Association, which he has twice served as president.  Mr Bassettt was the 2009 Director of the Year for the District I Band Directors' Association.

Mr. Bassett is active as a composer.  Besides writing numerous works for his own groups, he has filled commissions for the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, Deer Park (WA) Orchestra,  the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial,  Block H. S. Band, and Crowell (TX) High School Band.  Fourteen of his compositions or arrangements  have been performed at the Louisiana State Music Festival.

Sue Moore  Honor Choir Chairman

Sue Moore is a graduate of the University of Louisiana in Monroe.   She hold a Bachelor of Music Education and a Masters in Music with an emphasis in Choral Conducting.

Sue is a member in good standing in ACDA and MENC.

She is a member of the Monroe Symphony Chorus.  She is also know for perforamances in many shows ath Strauss Playhouse  in Monroe, Louisiana, including her award-winning performances in "Kismet" and " Music".   She is a former member of the Piney Hills chapter of Sweet Adelines International .

Mr. Dagenhardt has been teaching instrumental music for 20 years. His first and present position has been director of bands at Houma Junior High.  In that time the band has grown from 140 to 286 members strong.  By his third year teaching, he qualified for state large ensemble competition and earned the first state sweepstakes rating in the history of the school. Since 1993 his bands have consistently earned Superior ratings at both District and State level competition.

Mr. Dagenhardt graduated Cum Laude from Nicholls State University in 1990.  He was twice named as Nicholls outstanding instrumental music major. He has served 5 terms as Second Vice President, 3 terms as First Vice-President, 2 terms as President Elect, President, and Past President of the District VII Band Directors Association. He is the coordinator of the instrumental solo-ensemble festival for District VII.  He was voted Teacher of the Year for Terrebonne Parish in 1993, 1998, and 2007 and was selected as the 1993 Outstanding Young Educator by the Houma-Thibodaux Jaycees. He has been a co-conductor of the Bayou Community Band in Thibodaux since 2005. He was chosen as the District VII Band Director of the year for 1996 and 2006. He was also selected as the Louisiana Bandmaster’s Associations Band Master of the Year for 2004. He is also a state certified evaluator for the gifted and talented music program. He is a member of MENC, LMEA, TAE, LAE, LBA, NBA, and is in his second term as Vice-President of Phi Beta Mu fraternity. 

Eddie Schiro has taught for 29 years at schools in St. Mary Parish, Terrebonne Parish, St. Charles Parish, Lafourche Parish, Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish and Desoto Parish.  Eddie holds a Bachelor of Music Ed. Degree from Nicholls State University and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a Plus Thirty.

Eddie has held the offices of President, First Vice President, and Past President and has been honored as “Band Director of the Year” in the District VII Band Directors Association. He has served as President of the St. Mary and Lafourche Parish Band Directors Association.  He has also served on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Louisiana Music Educators Association as District Director, and Vice President of the LA chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators. Membership in Professional organizations include; The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, Music Educators National Conference, Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmasters Fraternity, and has been a Nationally Registered Music Educator with The Music Educators National Conference.

Eddie is a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus and is married to Debbie Schiro with five children and four grandchildren.