Leaders
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In the spring of 2004 Mr. Lucita was selected as the Director of Bands at Lehman High School. Lehman is a 4A high school, in Kyle Texas with a total enrollment of 1400 students. It opened its doors officially on August 17th, 2004. Mr. Lucita is responsible for conducting the Wind Ensemble and all Administrative duties within the Lehman Instrumental Music department and it’s feeder programs.
Mr. Lucita is currently in his 18th year of teaching in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. He was previously the Associate Director at Jack C. Hays High School for 10 years, where his duties included conducting the Hays High School Symphonic Band I, Hays High School Jazz Ensemble, assisting with the Pride of Rebel Country Marching Band, and assisting with the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band II, and Symphonic Band III. He is also the TMEA Region XVIII Band Division Chair and has held this position since 2006.
Before coming to the Hays CISD in 1994 Mr. Lucita was the assistant director at Calhoun High School in Port Lavaca, Texas from 1992-1994. Prior to that, he was the assistant director, for one year, at West Columbia High School outside of Lake Jackson, Texas.
Mr. Lucita received his Masters Degree in Education Administration from Texas State University. He received his Bachelor Degree in Music Education from the Southwest Texas State University School of Music. He began his secondary education as an undergraduate by attending Southeastern Louisiana University located in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a member of TMEA, TBA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi. Mr. Lucita has also performed as a French Horn player with the Austin Symphonic Band under the direction of Mr. Dick Floyd. His hobbies include playing golf (better stated as losing golf balls), SCUBA diving and tinkering in computer networking. He has been married to his wife Karen for 18 years and has a daughter, Mia, who was born July 3rd, 2002.
Mr. Lucita (512)268-8454 Voicemailbox 7648 lucitaj@hayscisd.net
Mr. Mertins is entering his third year as Percussion Director at Lehman High School. In conjunction with his duties at the High School, Mr. Mertins teaches percussion classes at Lehman’s three feeder middle schools: Chapa MS, Simon MS, and Wallace MS.
A 2005 graduate of The School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Mertins received his degree in Music Theory. During his college tenure, he studied percussion under Dr. Stephen Crawford, Lisa Nicol, Benjamin Finley, and Dr. Thomas Burritt, as well as Drum Set with David Glover, Brannen Temple, and A.D. Mannion.
Prior to graduating, he served as the Percussion Tech at Temple High School from 2003-2004. In the fall of 2005, he became the Assistant Percussion Instructor at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, TX. While there, he was inspired to make a career out of teaching, and decided to pursue his certification.
Mr. Mertins is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Bandmasters Association.
Johnnie B. Green currently serves as Associate Band Director and Color Guard Director at Lehman High School in Kyle, TX. As part of the Lehman team, Mr. Green has experienced immediate success earning Superior ratings in both concert and marching band, and establishing the Lehman Color Guard as a Texas Color Guard Circuit State Championship Medalist in 2011, the 2012 TCGC Regional A Class State Championship. Lehman High School is also the Sponsor of the WGI Austin Regional.
A native of Danville, IL, Mr. Green grew up with a strong background in music and performance, studying voice and trumpet at an early age. While in high school, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the National Youth Performance Debut Series, and performed as principal trumpet in the first Bands of America concert band in 1990 under the direction of William D. Revelli and Tim Salzman.
Mr. Green studied trumpet with Dr. Amy Gilreath at Illinois State University where he was a featured soloist, and with Dr. Jonathan Gresham and Drew Cremisio at Northern Kentucky University. While at NKU, he was selected as a finalist in the Corbett Concerto Competition, and performed as a member of the NKU Faculty Brass Quintet. His additional teachers have included Parker Melvin and Michael Tunnell at the University of Illinois, Judith Saxton at Illinois Wesleyan University, and Richard Lehman (Illinois State University), former Principal Trumpet of The United States Marine Band. From 1991-1994, Mr. Green was a lead soprano for The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps from Rosemont, IL winning the 1992 Drum Corps International World Championship , and Individual & Ensemble World Championships in 1992 and 1994.
Mr. Green began his teaching career in 1990 as a member of the staff at Normal Community High School in Normal, IL with Lisa Preston, John Bixby, and Kent Baker (currently with the United States Air Force Band, Washington D.C.). While in “Normal” Mr. Green taught color guard, marching band, and private brass lessons. In 1995, he was appointed Brass and Marching Caption Head at both Normal Community and Normal Community West High School, winning back to back State Marching Band Championships and State Color Guard Championships. Both Normal and Normal West earned recognition as Bands of America Regional Finalists and WGI Regional Finalists in both Color Guard and Percussion. In addition, the Normal West High School Band was a Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalist, and the Wind Ensemble achieved State Honor Band status. Mr. Green continues to serve as a clinician and consultant for the Normal West Band Program.
From 1999-2004 Mr. Green was the Assistant Band Director and Color Guard Director at Conner High School from Hebron, KY. While at Conner, Mr. Green lead the marching band to numerous award winning performances, and the color guard was a three time Scholastic A Medalist at the Tri-State Circuit Championships. While residing in the Cincinnati area, Mr. Green served on the staff at several area high schools, including; Colerain, Moeller, Beechwood, Sycamore, Amelia, Elder, and Taylor County. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Tri-State Circuit for the Pageantry Arts.
Mr. Green was as the Visual Caption Head for Spirit Drum & Bugle Corps from 2002-2004, and for the Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps from 2001-2002. Most recently, Mr. Green was the Assistant Visual Caption Head for the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps from San Antonio, TX.
From 2009-2010, Mr. Green was an Assistant Band Director and Color Guard Director at Akins High School in Austin where he was responsible for team teaching three concert bands, the color guard, and coordinating the marching band visual program. Under Mr. Green’s direction, the Akins Color Guard was the 2010 WGI Austin Regional SRA Champion. Mr. Green also taught in the Judson Independent School District in San Antonio where he served as the Visual Coordinator/Color Guard Director and brass specialist from 2004-2008. In addition to his duties directing the Color Guard program (including two high school winter guards, and middle school color guard) and coordinating the visual program for Judson High School, Mr. Green served as the Assistant Band Director at Kitty Hawk Middle School from 2006-2009. During Mr. Green’s time at Judson, the Judson Honor Band (Under the Direction of Dana Pradervand, Scott McDonald, Mark Buley, and Craig Turner) performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band & Percussion Festival, the Marching Band was a Bands of America Regional Finalist, and the Color Guard was a consistent WGI Regional Finalist. Mr. Green was a designer and consultant for the Seguin High School Color Guard (WGI Scholastic A Regional Finalist) from Seguin, TX from 2008-2011, and has been a clinician and consultant for the Morton Ranch High School Band from Katy, TX. Mr. Green is a designer/choreographer for JW3.com Marching Band Designs.
Mr. Green has continued to stay active as a performer, playing with the San Antonio Wind Symphony, Heart of Texas Concert Band, and was a featured soloist with the Cavalier’s 60th Anniversary Corps.
Currently, Mr. Green resides in north east San Antonio with his wife Jessica, his 3 year old daughter Olivia, their newborn daughter Ella, and their cats Thomas and Cerra. In his “free” time, he enjoys chasing his daughter around the house and working on his golf swing.
Mr. Smith is entering into his first year of teaching in the Buda/Kyle community as Assistant Band Director at Chapa Middle School. As a Director for the Cougar Band Mr. Smith conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches the Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone and Tuba beginner classes.
Prior to becoming a teacher in Hays CISD, Mr. Smith attended Texas State University where he graduated in May 2010 with a Bachelor's in Music Education, Magna Cum Laude. While at Texas State, Mr. Smith was a member of the Bobcat Marching Band, the Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, and the Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble. He served in many capacities in these ensembles including Section Leader, Drum Major, Visual and Field Coordinator, Principal Tuba, and Band Manager.
He is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, International Tuba and Euphonium Association, Alpha Chi Honor Society, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Fraternity for College Bands.
Mr. Smith enjoys bay fishing, watching Spurs basketball, and playing his PS3. He has been married to his wife, Alyssa, for 6 years. Mrs. Smith teaches 1st Grade in Austin ISD. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are very excited to be expecting their first child, a baby girl named Adalyn, in late September.
Christopher M. Barrera joined the Lehman Band Program in the summer of 2008. He is currently in his 7thyear of teaching and 3rdyear at Lehman HS. Mr. Barrera previously held the position of assistant band director at Rayburn MS in San Antonio for 2 years and an assistant band director at Victoria Memorial HS in Victoria, TX for 2 years. His duties for 2010-2011 include conductor of the Symphonic band, director of the marching band, teaching beginner French horns at Chapa MS and Wallace MS, and teaching beginner saxophone, flute, and clarinet at Simon MS.
Mr. Barrera received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The University of Texas at Austin in 2003. While attending UT he studied trumpet with Ray Crisara and Ray Sasaki and earned his “horns” as a member of The Longhorn Band for 5 years of participation. Mr. Barrera is a Former Marching Member of The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps during the 1997 and 1998 summers. He spent some time away from the activity and later rejoined The Cavaliers as member of the visual staff for the 2003-2005 seasons. He is a member of TMEA, TBA, and alumnus of the Zeta Psi fraternity. His hobbies include cooking (with his girlfriend Erin), playing poker tournaments (online), and playing with his dogs Barkley and Bella.
