Mark Poole

Mark Poole, originally from Mesquite, Texas, is in his seventh year at Lone Star High School. The Lone Star High School Band has had great success at the local, state, and national level. The Lone Star Wind Symphony was a TMEA Honor Band Finalist in 2019, placing 6th overall and was awarded the 2024 TMEA 5A Honor Band this past year. The Wind Symphony was invited to perform at the 76th Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2022 The Wind Symphony was named Grand Champion at the 2022 and 2024 Dallas Winds Invitational and was recognized as a National Windband Honor Recipient of the Mark of Excellence in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The LSHS Marching band advanced to the State Marching Contest in 2019, 2021,2023, and 2024. The band placed 12th in 2019, 7th in 2023, and 6th in 2024.
Prior to Lone Star he was the director of bands at Forney High School for 12 years. Under his tenure, the Forney band had great success at the local, state, and National level. The marching band made appearances at the Texas State Marching Contest 5 consecutive times. (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) The Wind Ensemble was awarded consistent Sweepstakes, several “Best in Class” awards, named a 4-time National Windband Honor recipient, 2-time Grand Champion of the Dallas Winds Invitational, advanced to the TMEA Honor band Area contest in 2011. 2013, 2015, and 2017 and named a TMEA State Honor band finalist in 2013 (5th overall) and 2017.

Prior to his appointment at Forney, Mr. Poole was the director of bands at Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas, director of bands for the Jasper Independent School district, and at Southwood High in school in Shreveport, Louisiana. His bands received numerous sweepstakes awards and enjoyed great success at both the region and state levels (Texas and Louisiana). In 2003, the JHS Symphonic band was awarded the OPS (Outstanding Performance Series) award from ATSSB.
Mr. Poole received a degree in music education and saxophone performance from the University of North Texas in Denton. While there, he performed with many top performing organizations in both the classical and jazz idioms, serving as a principal player and section leader in many of those groups. He was under the tutelage of fine instructors such as: Robert Winslow, Dennis Fisher, Tim Ishi, Jim Riggs, and Eric Nestler. While obtaining his undergraduate degree, Mr. Poole taught private saxophone and clarinet in the D/FW area. After completing his undergraduate, Mr. Poole graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern State University the following year, receiving his master’s degree in conducting. As a graduate assistant he was director of the Symphony Band, jazz band, basketball pep-band, marching band assistant, and assisted and conducted the Wind Symphony. He also served as a private instructor and arranger for the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band.

In addition to his teaching, Mr. Poole has performed professionally with groups such as: Texas Wind Symphony, Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Natchitoches Symphony Orchestra, Roy Clark, Ben Vereen, Bill Causey Big Band, Pete Peterson Big Band, Just Friends Big Band, and many other groups in the DFW area. Mr. Poole also serves as a clinician/adjudicator.

Mr. Poole currently resides in Little Elm, TX with his wife Cyndi.