Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Creek Valley Middle School is located in Carrollton, Texas as a part of the Lewisville Independent School District and feeder to Hebron High School. The school prides itself on its diverse cultures. The Creek Valley Band currently serves 190 students, with sixth graders enrolled in homogeneous instrument classes. Seventh and eight graders are enrolled in one of the two ability-based bands, with an option to enroll in a Jazz Band or serve as student aides in a beginner class. These students are provided the opportunity to perform in many different settings including concerts, pep rallies, high school football games, halftime performances, All-Region auditions, All-District auditions, Solo and Ensemble contests, UIL Concert and Sight Reading, and music festival competitions. The Honor Winds are the premiere ensemble, which meets four times each week during the school day, but may vary, depending on the week. Additional rehearsal time for both Honor Winds and Symphonic Band usually includes one sixty-minute sectional per week and one sixty-minute band rehearsal. The Creek Valley band consistently earns UIL Sweepstakes, Best in Class at local festivals, and has been awarded National Wind Band Honors from the Mark of Excellence each time the band has entered. In 2016, Honor Winds was a featured performing ensemble at the 70th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra and in 2019 were a Texas State Honor Band Finalist.
Additionally, these students represent Creek Valley Middle School by consistently placing high in both region and district auditions. The Creek Valley Band students and staff are excited about the opportunity to perform at the 70th Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and are humbled by this prestigious honor.
Creek Valley Honor Winds
Conductor's Bio
Kim Hawbaker-Cooley grew up in Amarillo, Texas. After graduating from Tascosa High School, she attended West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, and studied with the legendary Dr. Gary Garner, earning both a Bachelor of Music Education and a Masters in Conducting. Kim was president of Tau Beta Sigma during her undergraduate years, and she was an instrument repair assistant. During her graduate studies, she served as Dr. Garner’s graduate assistant.
Upon graduation, Kim was hired by the Lewisville Independent School District to be the assistant band director at Arbor Creek Middle School. She taught at Arbor Creek for ten years, first working with Steve Seibert and then Marty Nelson. She made the move to Creek Valley Middle School in 2011 to assume the role of Director of Bands. At Creek Valley, Kim teaches all of the woodwind classes and is the director of the Honor Winds, and assists with the Symphonic and Jazz bands. Kim is in her twenty-first year of teaching and has taught her entire career in the Hebron High School cluster under the leadership of Andy Sealy. She is a lifetime member of the PTA and was a finalist for First Year Teacher of the Year.
The Creek Valley Bands - including the non-varsity and beginning bands - enjoy much success and receive recognition under Kim’s leadership. The Honor Winds consistently receive superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading contest. In addition, they have received top ratings and Best in Class awards at Peak Festivals, North Texas Festival of Distinction, and have been named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence Contest. The non-varsity band enjoys success at the UIL Contest and the Beginning Band was recently selected as Outstanding Band of the Day at the NRH2O Music Festival. Individual student honors are the norm as well - Creek Valley regularly places many students in the all-district and all region bands and solo contestants bring home many blue-ribbon medals.
On the state and national level, the Creek Valley Band has been named a finalist in the TMEA CC Honor Band completion, and this 2022 performance at The Midwest Clinic is the second performance by this band under Kim’s direction - the Creek Valley Band also performed at The Midwest Clinic in 2016.
Kim finds time to serve as a UIL judge across the state, UIL Region 2 officer and during the summer months she has taught band camps in Lewisville, McKinney, and Keller. Kim is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She and her husband Nathan, also a band director in Lewisville ISD, are parents to two four-legged kids, Piper and Marvel, who keep them busy and entertained!
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