Dr. Mark Foster, Band Director
Mark Foster is currently in his 19th year of teaching band and in his 7th year as the band director at Mountain Brook Junior High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He has previously taught in the Mountain Brook System as the elementary band director and in the Jefferson County School System as assistant band director at Hueytown and Band Director at Gardendale High Schools. Bands under his leadership have consistently earned superior ratings and best in class awards at both the district, state, and regional level.
Dr. Foster holds the bachelor of science, master of arts, and doctor of education degrees from the University of Alabama. He also holds National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. As a doctoral student, he was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, international honor society in education and was awarded the most outstanding graduate student in music education in 2003. Foster has presented research at the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 1998 and 2006, and at the University of Alabama Research Seminar in Music Education in 2003 and 2005. He presented a seminar at the Birmingham Public Library entitled "Strike up the Band" as part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series in June of 2006, and most recently in January of 2007 for the New Horizons at UAB. His research interests include band history and early Birmingham history including cultural development at the time of the founding of the city. He recently completed a doctoral dissertation entitled, “Fred L. Grambs and his influence on instrumental music in late 19th century Birmingham, Alabama.” Dr. Foster is a member of the History Special Research Interest Group of the Music Educator's National Conference.
In addition to his work in Mountain Brook, Dr. Foster has taught music appreciation classes at Jefferson State Community College and graduate music education classes at the University of Montevallo.
He was guest conductor for the 1998-2001 UAB High School and Junior High School Honor Bands as well as the 2003 University of Montevallo Honor Band.
As a trombone player, he has performed with the Temptations, The O’Jays, The Alabama Ballet Orchestra, The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, and The Alabama Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of Birmingham’s Superjazz Big Band and is also a founding member of the Renaissance Trombone Ensemble in Birmingham, Alabama.
Dr. Foster is married to Jennifer Foster and they have two children Megan and Luke. In his spare time, he likes to read and ride motorcycles. He attempts to grow tomatoes and bell peppers each summer, but is not very successful. He hopes to ride his BMW R1150RT motorcycle across America one day. |
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