A Complete Guide to Band Warmups

This class will study how to set up your rehearsals for success through engaging techniques and learning activities by maximizing the most important time for teaching: the warmup. Topics will include: review of published resources, rote exercises, developing tone/tuning/timing/ technique/theory through daily fundamentals, musically centered ensemble setups and classroom management, chorales, use of the Yamaha Harmony Director, sightreading, and more. This class will center around viewing weekly video lessons that bring exposure to time-tested ideas, as well as new and innovative techniques.

Guest Instructors:

Kim Cooley:

Kim Cooley is in her nineteenth year teaching and ninth year as Director of Bands at Creek Valley Middle School.  Her responsibilities include: directing Honor Winds, assisting the Symphonic and Jazz Bands, and teaching beginning flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone classes.

Under the direction of Mrs. Cooley, the Honor Winds has been awarded Superior ratings at UIL, Peak Festivals, and the Dallas Winds Festival.  The Honor Winds was also awarded Best In Class and Most Outstanding Middle School Band at Peak Festivals and was named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence Contests.  Recently, the Creek Valley Honor Winds were selected to perform at the 70th Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2016.

Prior to her appointment, she was a graduate assistant and conductor of the University Wind Ensemble at West Texas A&M, under Dr. Gary Garner, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree.  Her professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association.

Mark Poole –

Mark Poole, originally from Mesquite, Texas, is in his fourth year at Lone Star High School. The Lone Star High School Band has had great success at the local, state, and national level. The Lone Star Wind Symphony was a TMEA Honor Band Finalist in 2019, placing 6th overall in the entire State. All 3 band concert bands are sweepstakes award winners, and the Wind Symphony was recognized as a National Windband Honor Recipient of the Mark of Excellence in 2019 and 2021. The LSHS Marching band returned to the State Marching Contest in 2021 and 2019 as a finalist. The marching band has been a finalist at every local competition, 2nd place at the Little Elm Classic on the Lake (2018, 2019) and was awarded Grand Champion at the Denton Golden Triangle contest in 2018, 2021. The LSHS Band was named a BOA Regional Finalists in 2021.

Prior to Lone Star he was the director of bands at Forney High School for 12 years. Under his tenure, the Forney band had great success at the local, state, and National level. The marching band made appearances at the Texas State Marching Contest 5 consecutive times. (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) The band was awarded “Best in Class” at the Mesquite Marching Festival 8 times and numerous Grand Championships at the Mesquite Marching Contest, DeSoto Marching Classic, Mansfield Preview of Champions, and the Frisco Centennial Marching Contest. The Wind Ensemble was awarded consistent Sweepstakes, several “Best in Class” awards, named a 4-time National Windband Honor recipient, 2-time Grand Champion of the Dallas Winds Invitational, advanced to the TMEA Honor band Area contest in 2011. 2013, 2015, and 2017 and named a TMEA State Honor band finalist in 2013 and 2017 (5th overall).
Prior to his appointment at Forney, Mr. Poole was the director of bands at Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas, director of bands for the Jasper Independent School district, and at Southwood High in school in Shreveport, Louisiana. His bands received numerous sweepstakes awards and enjoyed great success at both the region and state levels (Texas and Louisiana). In 2003, the JHS Symphonic band was awarded the OPS (Outstanding Performance Series) award from ATSSB.

Mr. Poole received a degree in music education and saxophone performance from the University of North Texas in Denton. While there, he performed with many top performing organizations in both the classical and jazz idioms, serving as a principal player and section leader in many of those groups. He was under the tutelage of fine instructors such as: Robert Winslow, Dennis Fisher, Tim Ishi, Jim Riggs, and Eric Nestler. While obtaining his undergraduate, Mr. Poole taught private saxophone and clarinet in the D/FW area. After completing his undergraduate, Mr. Poole graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern State University the following year, receiving his master’s degree in conducting. As a graduate assistant he was director of the Symphony Band, jazz band, basketball pep-band, marching band assistant, and assisted and conducted the Wind Symphony. He also served as a private instructor and arranger for the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band.

In addition to his teaching, Mr. Poole has performed professionally with groups such as: Texas Wind Symphony, Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Natchitoches Symphony Orchestra, Roy Clark, Ben Vereen, Bill Causey Big Band, Pete Peterson Big Band, Just Friends Big Band, and many other groups in the DFW area. Mr. Poole also serves as a clinician/adjudicator.

Mr. Poole currently resides in Little Elm, TX with his wife Cyndi.

John McAllister –

John McAllister (b. 1985) is an educator and composer. He has taught band at all levels of secondary music education and has been teaching since 2008. Currently he serves as Coordinator of Bands for Spartanburg School District 7, as well as Director of Bands at Spartanburg High School. During his time in Spartanburg, he has led numerous ensembles to successful performances and superior ratings at local and regional festivals. John was fortunate enough to be selected as Teacher of the Year for McCracken Middle School in 2014 and Spartanburg High School in 2020. In 2021, John was named a winner of the DeLucia Award in Music Education for contributions to the profession.

As a composer, his band compositions and arrangements center around creating engaging and exciting music for young performers. In addition to writing for performing ensembles, John also writes for the screen. He has written the score for several films, video games, and other forms of media with placements ranging from national television (CBS) to popular Youtube channels (i.e. HISHE). His collaborations with documentary filmmaker Kane Farabaugh have led to multiple Emmy Award winning films. Writing for the screen has led John to combine his love for teaching music and composition. He maintains John McAllister Music, a website full of engaging and often “cinematic” resources for music educators, with the majority of them accessible for free.