BWHS Instrumental Staff



Craig Porter - Director of Bands/Assistant Choir Director                   


Craig Porter is beginning his 7th year as Director of Bands at Big Walnut High School. During his six years at Big Walnut, the band program has grown from 43 members to over 125 members.   In March of 2006, the Wind Ensemble became the first band in Big Walnut school history to qualify for OMEA State Finals.  In March of 2007, the Wind Ensemble qualified for State Finals again, and in May of 2007 the Wind Ensemble became the first Big Walnut band to earn a Superior rating at OMEA State Finals.

Mr. Porter's other duties include overseeing all aspects of the band program grades 5-12, working with the middle school bands, teaching music theory, high school jazz band, and assisting with the high school choir program.  Previously, he was the Assistant Band Director at Philo High School near Zanesville, Ohio for nine years where his groups regularly received Superior ratings in marching and concert band at both the district and state levels.

Mr. Porter is currently the Ohio Music Education Association District 10 President-Elect as well as serving as the site chair of the District 10 Middle School Large Group Adjudicated Event.

Mr. Porter earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University in 1993 and has completed some work towards a Masters Degree at Muskingum College and Capital University.  He is a member of Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) and serves as an adjudicator for OMEA in the areas of Solo and Ensemble, Large Group Band Adjudicated Events, and Marching Band in the captions of Music and General Effect.

 

Lisa Huston - Choral Director/Assistant Director of Bands                         



Lisa Huston is beginning  her 11th year as Choir Director at Big Walnut and her 9th year as Assistant Band Director.  Under her direction, the vocal music department has grown from 33 members to 170 members.  Her duties include teaching four different periods of high school choir as well as Vocal Jazz, Music Theory, and Music Appreciation courses as well as serving as the Assistand Director of Bands.  She is currently the Arts Department Chair for BWHS.  Previously, she was the Choir Director at Danville High School in Knox County for nine years before coming to Big Walnut.

The Big Walnut High School Choir program has flourished under Mrs. Huston's leadership!  The Ladies Chorale has not only qualified for OMEA State Finals for FIVE consecutive years, the group has earned a Superior rating at State Finals each of those years.  Her Men's Chorus' and Symphonic Choirs are also consistent qualifiers for State Finals as well with the Symphonic Choir recently earning a State Finals Superior rating in May, 2008!

Mrs. Huston earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Otterbein College in 1988 and a Masters Degree in Library Science from Kent State University in 2003.  She is a member of Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), and Delta Omicron. Mrs. Huston is currently the webmaster for OMEA District 10 as well as serving in the same capacity for the Big Walnut band and choir websites.

 

Eric Frisch - Percussion Instructor                     





Jamie Clark - Color Guard Instructor