Mark R. Walker is beginning his thirty-fifth year as a music educator and band/orchestra director in the Ouachita Parish area. A native of Shreveport, LA and a 1972 graduate of Fair Park High School, Mr. Walker received the Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1976 and the Master of Music Education degree in 1982 from Northeast Louisiana University, +30 graduate hours from Louisiana Tech and Northeast Louisiana University. In 1996, Mr. Walker received the Education Specialist degree upon completion of his thesis entitled “Preparation, Procedures, and Guidelines for the Pre-Service Teacher in Instrumental Music Education at Northeast Louisiana University”. This thesis has been utilized as a textbook for graduate level and undergraduate level instruction at NLU. Mr. Walker was also a conducting student of Mr. Jack White (Director of Bands, Northeast Louisiana University), Dr. Joe Barry Mullins (Director of Bands, University of Southern Mississippi), Mr. Howard Dunn (Director of Bands, Southern Methodist University), and Mr. Ray Young ( Director of Bands, Louisiana Tech University).
After serving as the director of music at Ridgedale Academy in West Monroe for one year, Mr. Walker accepted the position as director of bands at West Monroe Junior High for thirteen years. While at West Monroe Junior High, the band program grew into one of largest programs in Louisiana. Under Mr. Walker’s direction, the West Monroe Junior High School Symphonic Band consistently received superior ratings at the district and state level of the Louisiana Music Educators Large Ensemble Festival. In 1987, the WMJH Symphonic Band was selected the Outstanding Junior High Band by the Louisiana BandMasters Association. Also in 1987, The West Monroe Junior High Symphonic received national recognition by being selected as “Best in Class “and “Best Overall Band “at the Dixie Classic Band Festival held in Washington, D.C. May of Mr. Walker’s students achieved individual honor during his tenure at West Monroe Junior High with a majority of his students being selected for the District I Junior High Honor Bands as well as several students being selected for the District I Senior High Honor Bands. Mr. Walker’s students were very active in participating in the District I LMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival with a large number of students achieving a superior rating for their performance.
Mr. Walker has served in various teaching capacities, both in public and private schools as well as at the college level. Mr. Walker has taught instrumental music from grades 5 through 12 and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. While teaching at West Monroe Junior High, Mr. Walker served as an assistant to Dr. Michael Spears, Director of Bands at West Monroe High School, as a drill writer and sectional teacher. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Walker is presently serving as the instrumental music coordinator for the Ouachita Parish School System as well as music director and conductor of the North Louisiana Youth Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Walker has also served as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.
Mr. Walker is a member of the following professional organizations: Louisiana Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Americans for the Arts, the District I Band Directors Association, the National Band Association, and Phi Beta Mu.
Mr. Walker resides in West Monroe and has been married thirty-three years to his wife, Kathy. They have four children; Kristin (28), Brandon (25), Ashley (23) and Sean (19).

Gary Meggs currently works as the director of bands and saxophone associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Monticello where he has been for the past ten years. As director of bands he over sees the instrumental part of the division of music. Presently Mr. Meggs directs The UAM Jazz Band 1, a nationally recognized jazz band and teaches a full studio of saxophone students. He has formerly directed bands for 21 years in the public schools of Texas. During Mr. Meggs time in Texas his marching bands, concert bands and jazz bands consistently won UIL first divisions and sweepstakes awards. Mr. Meggs is an active member in numerous organizations inclusive of Arkansas Bandmaster’s Association, Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association, Jazz Educators Association, American Federation of Musicians, College Band Director National Association and Phi Beta Mu.

In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Meggs performs nationally as a saxophonist and is a successful Christian songwriter. He earned his Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music education while studying with Wendell Evanson and Earl Hesse.   Mr. Meggs has performed with many entertainers such as The Temptations, Joan Rivers, Four Tops, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush 1 and many others. He has been a guest artist with the, 8th Air Force Jazz Band, Air Force Band of the West and toured in South America with the 531st Air Force Band. Mr. Meggs toured with the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra while on sabbatical in 2009. Mr. Meggs continues to perform periodically with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Mr. Meggs stays busy as a performer, clinician and adjudicator throughout the southern United States. To continue his education Mr. Meggs studies jazz saxophone with three time Grammy winner Eddie Daniels. Mr Meggs lives in Monticello Arkansas.

Mr. Tim Kovarik holds a BMA and a B.Ed degree from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario Canada, and a Masters Degree in Music Education from Indiana State University.  At Indiana State Mr. Kovarik pursued advanced study in wind conducting and wind arranging with Dr. John Boyd.  Mr. Kovarik has taught all levels of instrumental music from high school marching band to elementary strings. Under his direction the Fairfield Falcon High School Marching Band, from Goshen, Indiana, was a consistent Indiana State Marching Band Finalist and the Comeaux High School Marching Band consistently placed in the top 3 at the Louisiana Showcase of Bands Competition. 

While attending Graduate School in Indiana, Mr. Kovarik’s responsibilities included teaching all four levels of music theory and keyboard harmony to undergraduate students.  During this time Mr. Kovarik was also a member of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps instructional staff.

Mr. Kovarik has been a member of the Central States Judges Association since 2008 and has judged band competitions throughout the south and the mid-west.  Mr. Kovarik has been asked to serve as Director of several local Honor Bands in Louisiana and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the South Central Regional Music Conference (SCRMC) in Monroe, Louisiana, since it’s first year in 2006.