This website creation was established after I was asked in May, 2006,  to be a Guest Conductor at Trinity High School, in Euless,Texas, where I had been the first Director of Fine Arts and Director of Bands from the Fall of 1968 through the Spring of 1972.

      Please feel free to visit the website,
           register, and write comments!

         www.THSBandTheEarlyYears.com
 

WILL REAVIS, Class of 1957, BIOGRAPHY  

I am a graduate from the original Putnam City High School and a member of the  PCHS Band program, under the leadership of my mentor "Doc" (James D.) Walker.

While in H.S. I served as Drum Major for two years and was a Member of the Okla. All- State Band and All- State Choir, and studied clarinet with Mr. Loris Wiles, Principal Clarinetist of the Oklahoma City Symphony.

After graduation from P.H.S. , I attended The University Of Houston in Houston, Texas and received my Bachelor of Music Education Degree in 1961.

I  began my teaching career as Band Director at Dean Jr High, for two years, in the Cypress-Fairbanks I.S.D.,Houston Tx.   Then, I was the Assistant Band Director at Lamar High School, Lamar Consolidated I.S.D. in Rosenberg Tx

, for one year.

After leaving Houston,  I moved to Brownwood Texas, and attended Howard Payne University and earned my Master of Music Degree and was The Director of Bands and Professor of Woodwinds for one year at Howard Payne.

In 1965, I became the Assistant Band Director at L. D. Bell High School in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford- Independent School District for three years.

In the fall of 1968, I was selected to be the Director of Fine Arts and Director of Bands at the new High School in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District, Euless, Texas.

Upon the completion of my fourth year at Trinity High School, I decided to make a career move and became and employee of The Readers Digest Association, as a sales representative for their Educational Fund Raising Division, QSP.  After ten years with Readers Digest, I was fortunate enough to retire in 1982, and began The Reavis Studio of Woodwinds, teaching clarinet and saxophone.

Due to the successful achievements by my outstanding students, I was asked in 1989 to become Assistant Professor of Woodwinds and Woodwind Pedagogy at The University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

I am now semi-retired...teaching only clarinet at The University of Texas at Tyler, plus a few high school clarinetists.
I have been fortunate over the years to have placed over 60 clarinetists in the Texas All-State Bands, including my daughter, now a clarinetist with "The Presidents Own" U.S. Marine Band, Washington, D.C.

In February, 2006, I was also asked to be a Guest Conductor for the Carlisle High School Honor Band at the Texas Music Educators Association's Annual State Music Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
  
I am married to Lydia  Reavis , a former High School Director of Choirs and retired Asst. Professor of Voice at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Between the two of us, we have four adult children, six grandchildren,six grand-dogs, and three grand-cats.