James McCrury
512-424-8434
james_mccrury@roundrockisd.org
James McCrury is currently in his 27th
year of teaching - all in the area of middle school bands. Upon receiving his
bachelor of music degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, he was hired
as the assistant band director at Patti Welder Middle School in Victoria, TX.
At the same juncture, he auditioned and earned the assistant principal trumpet
position in the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. After five years, he accepted the
position of director of bands at Crain Middle School in Victoria. Under his
direction, the Crain bands enjoyed many accolades as the regional middle
school leader for individual and group musicianship. During McCrury's 13 year
tenure at Crain, the bands grew from 92 to 312 students. From 1993 through
2000 there were eight consecutive UIL sweepstakes performances earned by the
Crain Middle School Wind Ensemble. They gave performances for Texas governor
Ann Richards and United States Senator Phil Graham. James was a regional
finalist for the United States Air Force Band conductors selection process in
1992. He founded the Victoria Youth Symphony in 1993, and remained with that
organization as conductor and artistic director until 1998. Summers would find
Mr. McCrury conducting the pit orchestras for the Victoria Summer Musical
Repertory Theatre in productions such as "Guys and Dolls", "Annie Get Your
Gun", "The Sound of Music", "My Fair Lady", and "Oliver". McCrury composed a
fanfare for the 45th anniversary of CMS. The work was premiered at the annual
autumn concert in 1999, with guest flute soloist from the VSO, Cathy Harris.
The event drew community-wide interest with the attendance of all former
principals. James came to Ridgeview in 2001 to open the new RRISD middle
school. His groups have consistently earned the UIL sweepstakes award over the
last seven years at RMS. In the autumn of 2001, he composed the Ridgeview
Middle School Song which was premiered in the spring of 2002, with a
sub-titled dedication to the first principal, Dr. Malinda Grosch.
James has played the trumpet for 37
years and has studied with James Miculka and James Ode and spent two summers
in Hungary and Belgium studying under the Juenesses Musicales World Orchestra
program. His performance has been heard on PBS in the documentary film, "The
San Patricio Battalion", filmed at Presidio La Bahia, in Goliad, TX. His
performances have also been heard on NPR with the Victoria Bach Festival and
the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.
James is married to Janeil and has three
children; two girls and a boy. Kayla (age 19) is a sophomore at Rhodes
College, in Memphis, Tennessee. Chandler (age 15) attends Vista Ridge H. S. in
the Leander School District. Mason (age 9) attends Live Oak Elem. in RRISD,
where Janeil teaches hearing impaired students. James' favorite past time is
being "Dad"; coaching his daughter's fast pitch team and son's baseball team.
A former 2nd baseman for the Trinity Tiger's baseball team, James now enjoys
Monday night softball leagues, playing golf, fishing, and carpentry.
Pete Alvarado
512-424-8435
pete_alvarado@roundrockisd.org
Commonly refered to by his students as
Mr. A, Pete Alvarado is a product of the Round Rock School System; he attended
Berkman Elementary, C.D. Fulkes Middle School and Round Rock High School.
Eager to become a band director since 7th grade, Mr. Alvarado enrolled at the
University of Texas at Austin to continue his musical studies. While there, he
was a member in the Longhorn Band, Symphony Band, Wind Ensemble, Men's Chorus
and the Austrian American Mozart Academy. His college performance career took
him to stadiums across the Big 12, San Diego, New Orleans, Carnegie Hall, Napa
Valley and Salzburg, Austria.
After graduating with honors in 2005,
Mr. Alvarado taught one year in the Greater Houston area. Yearning to come
back home, he was appointed Assistant Director of Bands at Ridgeview Middle
School in 2006.
Principally a clarinet player, Mr.
Alvarado is the woodwind specialist on campus. He teaches all of the beginner
woodwind classes (flute, clarinet, saxophone, and double reeds) as well as the
beginner percussion classes. His performance group is the Honor Band and he
assists with the Wind Ensemble.
Mr. Alvarado will be getting married in
the Summer of 2010. He has 2 miniature schnauzers named Max & Stanley.
Ashley Rhea
512-424-8426
ashley_rhea@roundrockisd.org
Mrs. Ashley Rhea grew up in the tiny
little town of
Tuscola
, TX and graduated from
Jim
Ned
High School
in 2003. She then attended
West
Texas
A&M
University
in Canyon, TX, and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree in 2007.
While in college, Mrs. Rhea was a member
of the Buffalo Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Bands, Orchestra, and Wind
Ensemble. Her principal instrument is the French Horn, and while in college
she taught private lessons in Canyon ISD and Amarillo ISD. She also sang in
the local Vocal and Hand-Bell Choirs in Canyon. She currently is a member of
Cedar Park Winds, a community band made up of local band directors.
Mrs. Rhea and her husband, Dusty, a MS
Band Director in Burnet CISD, got married in June of 2008. They currently live
in Leander with their two puppies, Buster and Lola.
Here at Ridgeview Mrs. Rhea is director
of Symphonic Band I, and assists the Wind Ensemble and Honor Band. She also
teaches the beginning Trumpet and French Horn classes.