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Mark McGahey is in his 34th year as a music educator. He has been Director of Bands at Keller High School in Keller, Texas for 25 years. He also directed bands at South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Shawnee High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Bands under his direction have enjoyed notable success, including the following honors while at Keller High School: Eight-time National Winner of the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Contest, Bands of America Super Regional Finalist, Area Finalist in the TMEA Honor Band Competition, First Runner-Up at the 1999 4A Texas State Marching Contest, and named the 2000 4A State Honor Band in Texas. The Keller Band has been a participant at the Texas 6A University Interscholastic League State Marching Contest in all eligible years from 2006 to 2021 and placed as a finalist four of those years.
In 2015, the Keller High School Band was named a finalist at the prestigious Bands of America Grand National Championships, and the band was a Sudler Shield of Excellence recipient. In 2018, the Keller High School Band performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In 2021, the Keller High School Wind Ensemble was an invited ensemble at the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference.
McGahey is an active clinician and guest lecturer in many states including Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. He is an adjudicator nationwide, most notably with Drum Corps International (DCI) and Bands of America (BOA). McGahey has judged at DCI World Championships from 2013 to 2019, and he recently adjudicated at the Bands of America Grand National Championships. He was an adjudicator/clinician for the Bands of America Oklahoma Concert Band Festival. McGahey was the TMAA ad-hoc committee chair for the revised University Interscholastic League Region/Area/State Marching Band Judging Sheets.
McGahey has been named Teacher of the Year at Keller High School in 2000 and 2015, and he was also named a UIL Sponsor of Excellence recipient. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu Honorary Music Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Phi Mu Alpha. He is a Past-President for the Texas Music Adjudicators Association.