Dr. Tom Shine

Tom Shine is beginning his 27th year as Director of Bands for the Duncanville Independent School District and his 36th as a Texas band director. He graduated from Belton High School where Richard Crain served as his high school director during his senior year in 1966. He was a Texas All-State clarinetist in 1966 and he was named to the "All-America Youth Honor Band" in the summer of 1966 and toured with the group to South America with conductor, Clifton Williams. Dr. Shine attended the University of Texas at Austin for his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education and studied clarinet with Ray Schroeder and Leland Munger; music education with Nelson Patrick; and conducting with William Moody. He received a Ph.D. in Secondary Education from the University of North Texas in 1989.

He began teaching at Angleton High School as director of their 9th-Grade Band and moved to McCallum High School in Austin as Director of Bands in 1973. In 1976, Dr. Shine move to Lampasas High School as Director of Bands and in 1980 to the Duncanville ISD.

The Duncanville Bands have earned numerous awards during Dr. Shine's 26-year tenure, including State Championships in Marching in 1986, 1990, and 2002. The DHS Marching Band has finished in the top five at the State Finals a total of 12 times since 1984. In addition the Marching Band was a two-time BOA Southwest Regional Grand Champion and a two-time BOA Grand Nationals Finalist, winning the Outstanding Music award at Nationals in 1991. The Marching Band toured England in 1982 and marched in the 100th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena in 1989. The Marching Band has also marched in the Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix and earned Grand Champion awards at numerous festivals across the state.

The DHS concert bands have earned a UIL Sweepstakes for 27 consecutive years and the DHS Wind Ensemble has never earned less than a superior rating at any competition. The Wind Ensemble has been a Region 20 Honor Band every year since 1980 and has been a State Honor Band Finalist 7 times. The Wind Ensemble has been named the AAAAA TMEA Honor Band twice, in 1998 and 2004 and has performed twice for the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. The Wind Ensemble has also performed for the MENC National Conference and the BOA National Concert Festival in Chicago. In 1998, they were the featured performing group at the All-Japan Band Directors Conference at Nemu-no-Sato Japan. They have also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and have participated in commissioning new works for band including "Laboring Songs" by Dan Welcher; "Blue Shades" by Frank Ticheli; "Testament" by David Maslanka; "Trinity Passage" by John Gibson; a transcription of Verdi's "Requiem" by Merlin Patterson; and a transcription of "Sinfonietta" by Leos Janacek, transcribed by Charles Schwobel.

The Duncanville Band Program has been recognized by the John Philip Sousa Foundation with both the Sudler Flag of Honor and the Sudler Shield for both marching and concert programs of international merit.

Dr. Shine has been the Region 20 Band Division Chair for over 20 years and has also served as Region President. He has been the TMEA Area B auditions chair for the past five years. He was a member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Performance Practices for two years and for eight years, Dr. Shine was a Vice-President of TMAA, conducting workshops for both Marching and Concert Adjudication practices at TMEA and TBA. Dr. Shine is a frequent clinician and adjudicator across the U.S. and has presented clinics at TMEA and TBA on numerous occasions. He is also a member of Phi Beta Mu.

Dr. Shine met Verda, his wife of 34 years during the time they both played clarinet in the UT Wind Ensemble and they were married in 1972. Mrs. Shine has been a career band director for 33 years and continues to teach at Daniel Intermediate School and Byrd Middle School where she was part of two Honor Bands in 1982 and 2004. They have three children, all of whom played in the Duncanville Bands and served as first chairs in the Wind Ensemble: Lindsey is a 2nd year Law Student at SMU; Jonathan is in his fourth year of study for computer science; and Nicholas is a sophomore trombone performance major at SMU.

Dr. Shine would like to recognize Richard Crain, Nelson Patrick, William Moody, and Eddie Green as the primary influences on his career as a band director.