Britt is Region's Director of the Year WJHS Band Director Honored for Excellence BENSON-- M. Lance Britt, Director of Bands for West Johnston High School, has received the 2005 Southeastern District Band Director's Association Award of Excellence as the Outstanding Band Director of the Year. This prestigious award is presented to only six band directors each year in the State of North Carolina (one recipient for each of the six band districts). The Southeastern District includes over twenty counties and municipalities. The official awards ceremony will take place next November at the North Carolina Music Educator's Annual Convention in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During the nomination process, Britt was cited for his visionary leadership in creating "the finest band program in the state and one of the finest in the nation." Other factors that were considered were the West Johnston Band's recent performance at the 55th Inaugural Parade; the West Marching Band being named a semi-finalist (top 30) at the Bands of America National Marching Band Championships in both 2004 and 2005; the fact that both of the concert bands at West Johnston have never received less than a superior rating (the highest possible) at the NC State Concert Band Festival; the winter guard's Silver Medal performance at the 2004 Winter Guard International World Championships in San Diego, California; and, the national reputation of all of its other ensembles as well. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, M. Lance Britt is currently in his fourth year as Director of Bands and Ensembles at West Johnston High School in Benson, North Carolina. He received his Bachelor's Degree Cum Laude in Music Education from Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, and a Master of Music Degree with an emphasis in conducting from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, where he studied with John P. Paynter and Stephen G. Peterson. Britt began his teaching career as Director of Bands and Ensembles at Nottoway High School in Nottoway, Virginia in the fall of 1994. While there, he developed a comprehensive band program that performed throughout the United States at the National Concert Band Festival at Carnegie Hall in 1998. His band was one of nine invited to perform in Paris, France at the Paris Parade Millennium Festival on New Year's Day 2000. In the fall of 2002, Britt created the West Johnston Band and has overseen its development of one of the finest high school bands in the nation. His philosophy is that through hard work and dedication, anything in life is possible and uses that as the foundation of the West Band. He attributes much of the band's quick rise to the dedication of not only its students, but band staff, administration, and band parents as well. In its brief four year history, the West Johnston Marching Band has been named a Bands of America Regional Finalist three times and a national semi-finalist in both 2004 and 2005. Also, the Wildcat Marching Band was North Carolina's representative at the 55th Inaugural Parade to honor President George W. Bush. The West Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band have never received less than a superior rating at any concert event, having performed throughout the United States including performances in both 2003 and 2006 at Atlanta's Symphony Hall. Another facet of the program, the West "Varsity" Winter Guard, was the 2004 Scholastic A Class Silver Medalist at the WGI World Championships in San Diego, California. The Winter Guard has been named a finalist at every WGI Regional it has attended. Other West programs include the indoor drumline program, concert percussion ensemble, jazz band, its various standing chamber ensembles, and a "junior varsity" winter guard as well. During the summers of 1998 - 2001 and 2005, he worked on the administrative team of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Allentown, Pennsylvania, the nine-time Drum Corps International (DCI) World Champions. During his time with the Cadets, he served as Director of Merchandising (1998), Assistant Tour Director (1999), and as the Tour Director (2000-2001 and 2005). He has been named in the prestigious Who's Who of American Teachers eight times in the last twelve years. He was selected as one of the 20 finalists for the 2003 Johnston County Teacher of the Year Award and received the 2005 Southeastern District's Award of Excellence as the Outstanding Band Director of the Year. An active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States, Britt is a member of the North Carolina Band Director's Association (NCBDA), North Carolina Music Educator's Association (NCMEA), the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC), North Carolina Educator's Association (NCEA), National Band Association (NBA) and the NEA.
