Joshua Duermeyer

Mr. Duermeyer at the Beginning Band Winter Concert

Mr. Duermeyer is the Head Band Director at Lamar Middle School. His responsibilities at Lamar include overall program coordination for all classes, teaching the woodwind beginner classes, and teaching/assisting with all of the 7th and 8th grade bands. Mr. Duermeyer also greatly enjoys getting to be the World’s Biggest Fan of the Marcus HS Band program, and has been known to be the only living “Groupie” of a HS band.Prior to working at Lamar, Mr. Duermeyer was a band director at Warren MS in Forney ISD from 2010-2013, and a private lesson instructor for Birdville ISD from 2003-2007. He received his Bachelors of Music Education from TCU (2003-2007), and his Masters of Music from the University of Florida (2007-2009). Mr. Duermeyer is a Clarinet player and has performed with numerous Symphony Orchestras and as a musician with many musicals and operas. Mr. Duermeyer’s wife (and significantly better half) is a 5th grade science teacher at Highland VIllage Elementary.

Alex McClain

Mrs. McClain at her Pre-UIL Concert

Alex McClain will be joining the Lamar Middle School Band staff this 2023-2024 school year. Her responsibilities include teaching brass beginner classes and teaching/assisting the 7th and 8th grade bands. Originally from northeast Ohio, she graduated Summa Cum Laude at the University of Dayton. She studied French horn under professor Aaron Brant while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. During her time at university, Mrs. McClain participated in multiple music performing ensembles such as Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Horn choir, the Bearcat Marching and Pep Bands at the University of Cincinnati, and both the Pride of Dayton Marching Band and Drumline at UD. She also marched mellophone at Drum and Bugle Corps Carolina Crown for the 2021 season. Mrs. McClain is a member of the Texas Music Education Association.

Prior to joining Lewisville ISD, Mrs. McClain served as the interim Head Director at Norman Junior High in Kaufman ISD, and the Assistant Band Director at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas ISD.Mrs. McClain loves coffee, pizza, and dessert. In her free time, she likes to bake, travel, and spend time with her husband and cat.

Kennan Wylie

Mr. Wylie at the Annual MS Percussion Ensemble Concert

Kennan Wylie holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. He was an adjunct professor of percussion at University of Arlington for ten years. Currently he is the Percussion Instructor at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. There he coordinates the marching percussion program along with the concert percussion ensemble, steel band, novelty ensemble, and Brazilian ensemble.Under his direction over the past twenty two years, the Marcus group has received national acclaim both on and off the field, including eleven national championship titles at the P.A.S.I.C. Marching Competition. Marcus was chosen for the P.A.S. “Call for Tapes” in 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011. The group was seleccted to perform at the 2006 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference. They have performed with various artists such as; Gregg Bissonette, Dave Weckl, Ignacio Berrora, Dave Samuels, Alex Acuna, Horacio Hernandez, Dave Samuels, Steve Smith, Sonny Emory, Joel Rosenblatt, Shania Twain, Luis Conte, Russ Miller, and Andy Narel.. The drumline performed during the 1999 Stanley Cup NHL Championships for the Dallas Stars hockey team. As a performer, Kennan is versatile in the percussion world. He has won the P.A.S. Collegiate Snare Drum title three times and finished runner up in the DCI Snare Drum Individual Competition. As well as playing in the Disney All-American College Band, he has also performed as mallet soloist with the Austin Symphony and San Angelo Symphony. Kennan is currently a free-lance performer in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area. He is the drummer for the Dallas based jazz group Fingerprints. They have released four CD’s and perform regularly throughout the Southwest. Kennan has performed live with Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Laws, Freddie Ravel, Marion Meadows, Vic Duncan, Kyle Turner, and gospel artist Larnelle Harris. Kennan writes quality percussion literature for the beginning percussionist, through K. Wylie Publications. He is also a contributing percussion writer for Row-Loff Productions.Kennan is active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southwest. He hosts North Texas and South East Texas Middle School Percussion Camps. He has presented clinics at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Conference, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and the Texas Percussive Arts Society. He currently serves as the Texas PAS Chapter President.