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2017 TBA Prestigious Honors

Dr. Matthew McInturf Rolando Molina
Bandmaster of the Year Meritorious Achievement Award

Dr. Matthew McInturf is Professor of Rolando Molina was named head
Music, Director of Bands and Director of director at H.M. King High School in 1983
the Center for Music Education at Sam and remained there until his retirement
Houston State University in Huntsville, in 2015. Under Molina’s baton, the band
Texas. Dr. McInturf received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree won 31 sweepstakes awards and 54 students achieved All-
in Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College- state honors. The band was featured in the Orange Bowl in
Conservatory of Music, where he was a student of Eugene 2005 and the Cotton Bowl in 1999. Molina taught 68 students
Migliaro Corporon. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in that are now music educators. He was the director of Mariachi
Music Theory from the University of North Texas and a Master Del Rey at H.M. King High School from 2005 to 2015 and
of Music in Composition from the University of Houston. currently is an officer for the Texas Association of Mariachi
An advocate of new music, Dr. McInturf is a member of the Educators. Molina was the director of the McAllen Town
Board of Directors of the World-Wide Concurrent Premiers Band from 2005 to 2007. Other honors for Molina include
and Commissioning Fund, Inc., a non-profit corporation that induction into the TAMUK Band Hall of Fame and Phi Beta Mu
works internationally to form consortiums to commission Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame, honorary Kappa Kappa Psi
significant new works from contemporary composers. He is a membership, and in 2013, Kingsville ISD named the new fine
Past President of TBA, serves as Region Officer in TMEA, and arts complex the “Rolando Molina Fine Arts Center.”
served on the College Band Directors National Association
Music Education Task Force and the Board of Advisors for the
American Band College.

Gabe Musella Lee South
Meritorious Achievement Award Meritorious Achievement Award

Gabe Musella is in his 30th year of Now retired in East Texas, Lee South
teaching, currently as Director of Bands began his 43 years of teaching music
at Spring High School. Bands under in 1961. In 1966, he worked at R.L.
Mr. Musella’s direction have earned Turner High School in Carrollton to
UIL Sweepstakes in eight separate varsity and non-varsity establish a comprehensive private lesson program and in
categories and placed in the finals of the TMEA Honor Band 1970, he carried that program to Irving High School.
competition. Among numerous awards, band ensembles have The resulting consistent sweepstakes band awards also
garnered five Midwest performance invitations since 2008, reflected the excellent teaching of staff members. Irving HS
qualified to the finals of the Coltman Chamber Competition in had student teachers from North Texas State University
Austin and performed at the MFA National Concert Festival. each year and several graduates who have become
The marching band has qualified to the State Marching band directors. Lee is proud of the many fine students
Contest at every opportunity since 2006. The Spring Music who developed and maintained a lifelong love of music. After
Department was recognized as a 2016 Grammy Signature teaching two years at Tarleton State University and six years at
School. The Spring Band was a Houston Symphony Residency Sherman High school, South returned to Irving High in 1987
School during the 2016-17 school year. Musella is a published where he maintained a very successful band program for
composer with works being performed internationally. He has seven more years. South’s last ten years in Irving were spent
served as Guest Composer-in-Residence at UTEP, Texas Tech, teaching brass and strings in middle schools.
and Columbus State University in Georgia. His compositions
can be found on the Texas PML and on similar lists in several
states.

Bandmasters Review • September 2017 24 Texas Bandmasters Association