Val Rose

Val Rose was born in Jefferson County, Texas and attended schools in the Port Arthur ISD. After graduating, Val enrolled at Stephen F. Austin State College on a band scholarship. While still a student at Stephen F. Austin State College, Val Rose began his career as a Texas band director at the Gary and Joaquin Schools. These two small East Texas towns could not afford to hire a degreed director.

Val's first full time job after graduation was at Moore Junior High in Tyler. Then in 1964 he became the director at Overton and led the HS band to their first sweepstakes in fourteen years. Then the next year he moved to Troup and again led their band to a sweepstakes and other honors.

In 1966 Val took the Jacksonville HS job and began to build up a program that was very much in need of help. When he left Jacksonville thirteen years later, he left eight consecutive years of sweepstakes, the only ones in the school's history at the time.

After a brief fling at a fundraising job, Val led the White Oak HS Band to a sweepstakes in 1981. He then worked as a roadman for Tatum Music Company for the next five years, during which time he learned a great deal about the retail side of bands. He owes many thanks to owners Neil Grant and the late Alto Tatum for the wisdom they shared during that experience.

In 1986 Val moved to Nederland as director of bands. The Nederland HS Band grew from 86 members to over 260 during the early nineties. The concert Band was a TMEA Honor Band Finalist three times. The military style (6 to 5) marching band won best in class at the NAMMB Contest seven times. After promoting the construction of a Fine Arts Center with a 2000+ seat auditorium (completed March 2000), Val retired as Director of Bands and Music Education. Son Greg was hired to replace him. Val enjoyed working the next years (2001-2004) in the Student Affairs Division at Lamar University.

Val owes much of his achievement to the influence of his wife Suzi. With marriage in 1962 came responsibility and a need to succeed in the band directing world, and Suzi has always been there to help. In addition to being a fine vocalist and flutist, Suzi became one of Texas' outstanding elementary music teachers. Her teaching and inspiration were invaluable to the band programs where she and Val both taught. Suzi retired in 2003 from her job as a Nederland ISD Elementary Music Teacher. She also retired after ten years of teaching the Elementary Music Methods courses at Lamar University in Beaumont.

Val has held offices in UIL Regions 4, 21 and 10, including TMEA Region Chairman and Band Chairman; UIL Executive Secretary, Band Contest Chairman and State Advisory Council Member. He has been invited to present lectures at Texas Christian University, Lamar University, and Stephen F. Austin University. He is a charter member of TMAA and a member of Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. In 2000 he was honored with induction into the SFASU Band Directors Hall of Fame.

A great many of Val's former students have become band directors or involved in music education, and this is a source of joy. A special thrill is seeing son Greg become an outstanding band director and daughter Shannon Rose Shipp become an outstanding elementary music teacher for the Gladewater ISD where she lives with husband John and son Zachary. Greg's wife Weena is an elementary music teacher and grandchildren Eric and Amber Rose are enjoying the Nederland band program. Val reports that grandson Zachary Shipp - at 3 years of age - is entertaining in other ways.