| Mr. Alfred L. Watkins has been Director of Bands at Lassiter High School since 1982. He has established a fine reputation as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor throughout the United States. Under his leadership, the Lassiter Band has grown from its original seventy-eight members to its present size of over three hundred music students. The band program now includes five symphonic bands, marching band, two jazz bands and numerous chamber ensembles. Mr. Watkins, a native of Jackson, Georgia, received his Bachelor of Music Education from Florida A & M University, with honors in 1976 where he was a conducting student of Dr. William P. Foster and Dr. Julian E. White. Prior to his arrival at Lassiter, he served for six years as Director of Bands at Murphy High School in the Atlanta Public School System. As much a teacher as he is a musician, Mr. Watkins was named "Teacher of the Year" in 1978 and STAR TEACHER in 1982, 1983, 1989, 1994 and 1997. Mr. Watkins is constantly in demand throughout the United States as a guest conductor, clinician and lecturer. Mr. Watkins also conducts the Cobb Wind Symphony, a newly formed adult community band in the Atlanta area. Under Mr. Watkins' baton, the Lassiter Symphonic Band has acquired a fine reputation of musical excellence. Mr. Watkins pioneered the concept of the Symphonic Band Camp, a three-day post-marching season intensive study of symphonic literature. The camp concept is currently implemented by hundreds of school band programs throughout the country. The band has performed in some of the finest concert halls available in America. It has performed at the 1986 Georgia Music Educators Association Convention, 1988 National Band Association Biennial Conference, 1989 Black Music Caucus Convention and the 1995 Atlanta International Band and Orchestra Clinic. It has also performed in symposiums on the campuses of the University of Georgia, University of Southern Mississippi, Florida State University, Troy State University and the University of South Carolina. In 1993 and 1995, Lassiter's top two symphonic bands performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival. In 1989, and again in 1996, the Lassiter Symphonic Band performed at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 1989, the band earned the prestigious Sudler Flag of Honor, presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. In 1997, the Sousa Foundation listed the Lassiter Symphonic Band in the HISTORIC ROLL OF HONOR OF DISTINGUISHED HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT BANDS IN AMERICA, 1920-1997. For eight of twenty-two years, all Lassiter Symphonic Bands earned Superior Ratings in Performance and in Sight Reading at the Georgia Music Educator's Association District Band Festival. The five bands performed music in Grade Levels VI, VI, V, IV and II respectively. Mr. Watkins is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu National School Bandmaster Fraternity, Black Music Caucus, Music Educators National Conference and the Georgia Music Educators Association and the NAACP. He is on the band selection committee of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. In 1987, Mr. Watkins was selected as a charter member of the Florida A & M University Gallery of Distinguished Alumni. Mr. Watkins has served on the Educational Advisory Board of Bands of America and currently serves as an adjudicator for Bands of America (BOA). In 1996, Mr. Watkins was Associate Director for the Atlanta Olympic Marching Band that performed in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. He and his wife Rita live in Marietta with their two sons, Christopher and Jonathan. |
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