A well-known name among the Temple High School Band community will take over as head of the tradition rich program, pending Temple ISD Board of Trustees approval in June.
The hiring committee will recommend current Assistant Director of Bands Brent Mathesen as the district’s next Head Band Director.
“I’m excited to continue serving Temple ISD in this new capacity,” Mathesen said.
Mathesen has 30 years of teaching experience around Texas, the last nine at Temple High School where he also served as the director of the Temple High School Highlighters. Under Mathesen’s leadership, the jazz band was named a national finalist at the Essentially Ellington competition with Wynton Marsalis in 2011 and won the Basically Basie competition in Kansas City in 2016.
We look forward to Mr. Mathesen continuing the long tradition of excellence and wide range of musical experiences our band students and community have enjoyed for years,” said Temple ISD Director of Fine Arts Catrina Lotspeich.
Mathesen is the current Texas Music Educators Association Region 8 Jazz Coordinator and served as one of the directors for the Texas Jazz Educators Association from 2012-2015.
Before serving at Temple High School, Mathesen worked at Bonham Middle School, Belton High School, Belton Junior High School, Rogers High School, the Seoul International School and Itasca High School.
Brent has been married to his wife Jennie for 25 years and they have two sons, Spencer and Garrett. He is active as the bass player at First Christian Church Temple.