DeRidder High School Band

"Ambassadors in Blue"

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Carolyn Herrington - Director of Bands, DeRidder High School

Mrs. Herrington is currently the director of bands for the DeRidder City School System, where she is presently teaching at DeRidder High School. She has been in the band directing profession for the past 29 years. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1981. Mrs. Herrington is a member of MENC, LMEA, LBA, Four States Band Masters, Phi Beta Mu of which she has served as secretary, and president for the Louisiana chapter. Mrs. Herrington has served her state as the Jazz Division chairman, four terms as the District V region director, Band Division Chair, and is currently serving as the President for Louisiana Music Educators Association. Carolyn has been a staff member for the Louisiana All Star Marching Band for the past 22 years and served as conductor for the 500 piece marching band in 2003. Mrs. Herrington has been recognized by her school and parish as Teacher of the Year; has been selected in 1995 and 2000 as the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Band Director of the Year, in 2002 she was selected by the Louisiana Bandmasters Association as the Bandmaster of the year. Mrs. Herrington was selected as Louisiana’s representative by SBO magazine “50 Directors Who Make A Difference”. Most recently, she has earned her National Board Certification and is presently the only high school band director in the state of Louisiana to hold this distinction.
Mrs. Herrington is active as an adjudicator and clinician throughout Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi for various festivals, contest, clinics and honor groups. Mrs. Herrington is the wife of James Herrington and has two sons, Brett (26) and Timothy (23).

Leo Murray - Assistant Band Director, DeRidder High School

Leo E. Murray is beginning his thirty-fourth year of teaching band. His bands of 300+ students have consistently earned top honors and ratings across the district, state and nation. Mr. Murray, originally from Shreveport, LA, is a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. While at N.S.U. he was Band Captain for the Demon Marching Band, President of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and was named to Who’s Who at Northwestern in 1973. He received his Master of Music Education degree in 1979 from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA.
He began his teaching career at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, LA in 1973. During his four year term at Oberlin High, his bands received many awards including superior ratings at district festivals, Superior at the Sea-World Band Festival in Galveston, Texas, second place in the State Fair Parade in Shreveport, LA. In 1977, he began teaching with Mr. Bruce Lambert at Sam Houston High School and at Moss Bluff Middle School in Lake Charles, LA. During his tenure there, the M.B.M. Band won many honors including Louisiana Middle School State Honor Band in 1986 and 1989, Outstanding in Class at the Directors Choice Festival in San Antonio, Texas, Outstanding Band in Class and Overall Grand Champion of the Disney Festival in Orlando, Florida. The Moss Bluff Middle School bands consistently received superior ratings at district and state band festivals. Mr. Murray was Named Band Director of the Year for the Louisiana State Bandmasters Association three times and Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Director for the State of Louisiana twice.
Mr. Murray currently resides in Oberlin with his wife of 32 years, Barbara Taylor Murray. They have two children - a daughter, Mrs. Jennifer Leon, an outstanding band director in Kingwood, Texas and a son, Ross, who is in his second year of law school at L.S.U. Mr. Murray has been the music director at the Oberlin Baptist Church for the past 27 years where he also teaches the Men’s Sunday School Class. Mr. Murray is active as a percussionist and conductor in the Lake Charles Community Band.

Daphne Richardson - Band Director, DeRidder Junior High School

Miss Daphne Richardson is currently the Band Director at DeRidder Junior High School and one of the Band Assistants at DeRidder High School. The junior high band has consistently made superior ratings at Large Ensemble Festival since coming to DeRidder. She is currently in her sixth year at DeRidder Junior High and DeRidder High School.

Before coming to DeRidder, MIss Richardson taught 2 years in Missouri, 5 years in Midland and 9 years at Ouachita Christian School in Monroe, Louisiana. The OCS Band earned Sweepstakes consistently at all festivals and went on to participate in State Band Activities. She earned her Bachelors of Music Education from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas in 1985. Miss Richardson is a member of MENC, LMEA, LBA, NBA, TMEA and Phi Beta Mu.

Ms. Richardson has served her state as Secretary of District I Band Directors Association, LMEA District I Director, LMEA Public Relations, LMEA District V Director and is presently the LMEA Band Chairman for the state. Ms. Richardson has been an Honor Band Director in the East Baton Rouge area and has also judged at several Large Ensemble Festivals and Solo & Ensemble Festivals throughout the state of Louisiana. Ms. Richardson has a Dad, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 8 nieces and nephews and 4 great nieces and nephews from Texas, Missouri, Tennessee and Colorado.