Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Located near the southwest side of Houston, TX, Lamar Consolidated I.S.D. serves a community rich with tradition, pride, and a history dating back to Stephen F. Austin and the “Old 300” colonists. This Richmond, TX community continues to see growth in welcoming new families every year.
In honoring the town, Lamar CISD has traditionally named schools after the hardworking people who established and built the community. Appropriately, Antoinette Reading Junior High School is proudly named after lifelong Richmond resident Antoinette Davis Reading, a sixth-generation Texan and a descendant of Stephen F. Austin's “Old 300” colonists. Mrs. Reading was of the first teachers when Lamar Consolidated High School’s first class met in 1947. As a respected teacher, she demanded her students put forth their best effort and in doing so, she influenced many of the area’s distinguished and successful leaders. Known to lead by example and admired and respected by her co-workers, she also become the first “Teacher of the Year” at Lamar Consolidated High School. Antoinette Reading Junior High School honors her legacy through continuing a commitment to serving the youth and community.
Antoinette Reading Junior High School opened its doors in 2010, forging the Reading Junior High Longhorn Band Program. Reading Band began with over 400 students. In the brief four years of the band program’s existence, the bands have enjoyed success in receiving consecutive “Superior” Ratings from the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) Concert & Sightreading Contests, annual performances of the National Anthem for the Houston Astros, and recording sessions at Rice University's Stude Hall with Grammy Award Winner, Sugar Hill Studios.
The Reading Band program has enjoyed relationships with renowned educators, musicians, conductors, and composers from across the nation. One of the first relationships began with Larry Daehn in attendance of the world premiere of his commissioned work (“Chaconne”) to commemorate the inaugural year of the Reading Band program. The Reading Junior High Band has been honored to collaborate and/or perform with notable musicians such as William Owens, Fred J. Allen, Robert McElroy, Ronald A. Sutherland, Brian Shaw, Thomas Hulten, Ralph Sauer, and Elizabeth Priestly Siffert.
It is the vision of the Reading Band program to instill a love, understanding, and appreciation for music.
ANTOINETTE READING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL HONORS BAND
Conductor's Bio
Originally from Clarence, New York, Kevin Cranston is pleased to be a band director at Antoinette Reading Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
Mr. Cranston was a 4 year member of the Clarence Wind Ensemble at Clarence Central Senior High School under the direction of Ronald A. Sutherland. In the fall of 1987 he was selected for participation in the New York All State Band, and in the fall of 1988, he was selected for the New York All State Wind Ensemble. Subsequently, he was selected to perform as principal trombone in the MENC All Eastern Orchestra in the spring of 1989 in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Cranston was fortunate to have a full scholarship to the Hartt School of Music where he studied trombone with Dr. Ronald Borror, conducting with Gene Young, and took music education classes with Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. John Feierabend. Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree in music education, Kevin accepted a graduate assistantship in wind conducting at Eastern Illinois University where he studied with Dr. Bruce Moss and Dr. Joseph Manfredo. As a trombonist, Mr. Cranston has performed with the New Haven Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Waterbury (CT) Symphony and the Danville (IL) Symphony. He served as principal trombone with the Danville Symphony for 5 of his 8 seasons with the orchestra. He has also been privileged to perform on Emmy Award winning soundtracks on the Callan Films productions of “Weathered Secrets”, “More Than A Game” and “A Time For Honor”. He enjoyed working as a narrator for the production of “An Uphill Climb” with Emmy Award Winning producer, composer and writer, Craig Lindvahl.
Kevin began his teaching career in 1995 at Teutopolis Junior High School in Teutopolis, Illinois. The bands in “T-Town” found success at region band festivals and annual performances of the “Star Spangled Banner” for the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He received a “Cool School Teacher Award” in 2002; an award given by I.E.A. to 16 Illinois teachers based on a student nomination/essay. Mr. Cranston also enjoyed success coaching the junior varsity baseball and varsity soccer teams at Teutopolis High School. In 2002, he received the Decatur Herald & Review Varsity Soccer Coach of the Year Award.
Mr. Cranston and his wife, Sarah, moved to the Houston Area in 2003 when Sarah won the principal horn position with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. At that time, Mr. Cranston was hired as band director at Lamar Junior High School in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D. After enjoying 7 years of growth and success with wonderful students at Lamar Junior High School, Mr. Cranston followed many students and band families to Antoinette Reading Junior High School when it opened in 2010. During the 11 years Mr. Cranston has enjoyed teaching in Lamar Consolidated I.S.D., his bands have received consecutive “Superior” ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests. In 2010, Mr. Cranston was named Teacher of the Year at Lamar Junior High School. In 2014, he was named Teacher of the Year at Antoinette Reading Junior High School and was named Lamar Consolidated ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. The Honors Band at Antoinette Reading Junior High School performs the “Star Spangled Banner” annually for the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. All ARJH bands make an annual recording at Stude Hall at Rice University with Grammy Award Winning Sugar Hill Studios.
Kevin lives in Sugar Land, TX with wife Sarah, their twin boys, Will and Tim, and daughter, Emma.
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