Fleming Island High School Golden Eagle Band

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Directors

BERT CRESWELL

Bert Creswell has been a member of the Florida Bandmasters for thirty seven years.  He taught at Clay High School from 1972 until 1982.  In 1979 Mr. Creswell was appointed Music Specialist for Clay County Schools, a position he held for twenty years.  From 1982 until 2003 he was the band director at Orange Park High School.  For the school year of 1998-1999 he worked as an Assistant Principal at OPHS.  Under his leadership the band program at Orange Park has been very successful in the areas of marching, concert, and jazz bands.  He has developed a very successful leadership program with his students and he has presented clinics on leadership at the Florida Bandmasters Association conventions, the Texas Bandmasters Association convention, and at camps in North Carolina, as well as various clinics in the state of Florida.

Mr. Creswell served four years in the United States Navy as a musician and he has earned masters degrees in music education and educational leadership.  He is on the FBA Adjudicator’s list and has also adjudicated in Georgia.  He was the conductor of the Gold Band at the FSU Summer Music Camp in 1997, and he directed the Clay County Community Band for six years.  He has been the State Chairman from Florida for the National Band Association.  He is a past FBA District Chairman and was President of Florida Bandmasters Association from 1998 to 2000.  He has been awarded the Legion of Honor Award by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation in Chicago.  For three years Mr. Creswell was a visiting professor at the University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, conducting the concert band and teaching marching techniques and conducting classes.  In 2006 he was awarded the Oliver Hobbs Awards from the Florida Bandmasters Association.  Mr. Creswell directed the Wind Ensemble at the University of North Florida Music Camp in 2006.  He presented a clinic on Student Leadership for the Florida Vocal Association at the 2007 Florida Music Educators Association State Convention in Tampa.

In 2003 Mr. Creswell became the band director at Fleming Island High School, in Orange Park.  He is married with three children and two grandchildren.

 Mara Rys

Mara Rys joins the faculty here at Fleming Island after teaching at St. Johns County's Switzerland Point Middle School, Duval county's Sandalwood High School, Kernan Middle School , Fletcher Middle School and St. Lucie county's Port St. Lucie High School. Her duties at these schools included Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Leadership, Percussion and guard.  Mara received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University were she studied conducting with Dr. James Croft, Robert Sheldon, and Dr. Thomas Rohr.  Mrs.Rys was also a flute performance major and studied under Charles Delaney, Dr.Carol Dale and took master classes with Paula Robison.  Ensembles under her direction have consistantly recieved superior ratings performed all over the country including New York's Lincoln Center, Gatlinburg and a performance with the Glen Miller Orchestra.  She is an active adjudictor throughout Florida and Georgia. 

               Mrs. Rys holds a number o fprofessional memberships that include the Florida Bandmaster's Association where she served as District Chairman elect and District Secretary, American School Band Director's Association, Florida Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Tau Beta Sigma and Sigma Alpha Iota.

              Mrs.Rys is thrilled to be a part of the "Eagle Band".  She is still considered a "newlywed" and her husband loves watching and listening to bands all across the state!  She and Steven are the proud parents of two shih tzu's and two fat cats.

Percussion Staff

Scott Barengo

Percussion Instructor, Battery Arranger

               Scott has been instructing and arranging for drumlines in North Florida and South Georgia for over 10 years.  Scott graduated from Orange Park High School in 1997 where he was drumline captain for 2 years.  He started instructing and arranging for the drumline the next year.

               Scott graduated from the University of North Florida in 2001 with a Bachelors Degree in Information Science with a minor in Computer Science.  He is also a member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the international honor society for the computing and information disciplines.

               Scott marched with the Magic of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps in 1997, playing cymbals, and in 1999, playing snare.  Scott also plays snare for the Jaguars D-Line, the professional drumline for the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise and is a 4 year inaugural member.  Scott currently works for the City of Jacksonville in the security group of the Information Technology Department.

Ryan Boswell

Percussion Instructor

Ryan Boswell has been an active percussion performer for over 15 years.  He Graduated from Orange Park High School, in Orange Park, FL where he was under the direction of Fleming Island's current Director, Bert Creswell. 

Ryan has been actively teaching in the Orange Park area since 2001, at both Orange Park and Fleming Island High Schools. 

Ryan attended the University of North Florida and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and, in 2004 was appointed in the Navy as a Nuclear Engineer. Ryan Currently works as a licensed optician in the Orange Park area.  Ryan also co-founded and co-owns Digital Lighting Solutions which provides lighting alternatives that use less energy than traditional incandescent and flourescent lights. 

In addition to teaching percussion at Fleming Island High School, Ryan participates in his church orchestra and teaches Sunday school. 

Robert Horne

a.k.a.- "Herc"

Percussion Instructor

Robert Horne, better known as Herc, joined the percussion staff at Fleming Island High School in the fall of 2005.  He graduated from Sandalwood High School in 2000 where he was an active member of the Sandalwood band and drumline.  In 1999 Herc joined Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps from Jacksonville, Fl as a member of the Cymbal line.  In 2003 Herc joined the D-line where he is still currently performing at the home games for the Jacksonville Jags. 

Shane Carkhuff

Percussion Instructor

Shane Carkhuff is a Graduate of Orange Park High School where he served as Drum Captain in 1992.  Shane began teaching drum lines in 1993.  He has been an instructor at many different schools. He taught for 12 years at Orange Park High School, 3 years at Forrest High School, Terry Parker High and Clay High Schools.  Shane began teaching here at Fleming Island 5 years ago.  Shane has also taught as principal percussion instructor at the Suzuki School of Talent as well as privately for the past 17 years.  Shane was a 4 year inaugural member of the Jacksonville Jaguar D-Line. Before his appointment as Vice President of Branch Operations at VyStar Credit Union in Gainesville, he spent 16 years as management for Winn Dixie Corporation and 2 years representing CitiGroup as District Representative Financial Advisor.