Hartsville High Names Stockton Director fo Bands
J. Lance Stockton will be Hartsville High School’s new Director of Bands, the school announced today. Mr. Stockton comes to Hartsville High School from Berea High School in Greenville, SC where he has been Director of Band, Chorus, and Drama for the last three years.
Stockton was recently selected as the 2011-12 Berea High School Teacher of the Year. He is a graduate of North Greenville University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and is an active member in the South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA), the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA), the National Association for Music Education (MENC), and the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association for winterguard and indoor percussion (CWEA). In his off-time, Mr. Stockton is an accomplished jazz musician who performed with several professional jazz groups in Greenville.
Dr. Charlie Burry, principal of Hartsville High School said, “We are very pleased to be able to hire a young music educator of Mr. Stockton’s caliber. I am confident that he will continue to build on the proud tradition of the Red Regime marching band, lead our entire band program to greater accomplishments, and - most importantly - be good for our students.”
The Berea Music Department consists of Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Indoor Percussion, Color Guard, Chorus Ensemble, and Chorus. In 2010, under the direction of Stockton, the Berea High School marching band had first-place finishes in the Loy E. Wagner Invitational, the Chesnee Eagle Classic, the West Oak Warrior Classic, and the Pride of Pendleton competitions, as well as being awarded a $20,000 grant through the Fidelity Investments Future Stage program. The indoor percussion placed in the top three in the state for three consecutive years, including a State Championship.
“It is an honor to serve in the capacity of Director of Bands at Hartsville High School,” said Stockton. “The Red Regime has a history of success that will be preserved to the utmost. I look forward to continuing the long tradition of pursuing excellence in every facet of the program.”
The Hartsville High School Band Program is a comprehensive program consisting of a marching band (“Red Regime”), two concert bands, a jazz band, a color guard, and various chamber ensembles. Students in the Hartsville High School Red Regime Marching Band must be active members of the marching band and concert band programs. Hartsville High music students participate in all SCBDA sponsored events, as well as various collegiate workshops and band clinics. Among these events are All-Region, All-State, All-State Jazz, Solo and Ensemble, USC Band Clinic, and the Winthrop Clinic. The Hartsville Band program has won numerous SCBDA Outstanding Performance Awards and, most recently, represented South Carolina in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.
Stockton, who begins at Hartsville High in July, replaces Mr. Roger Simpson, who will be taking the position of Director of Bands at Irmo High School in Columbia, SC. According to Stockton, dates and times for the 2011-12 year will remain as scheduled.
Stockton is married to the former Beth Stephenson of Darlington, SC, and they have one son, Isaac.
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