Dr. Mark Foster, Band Director
Mark Foster is currently in his 23rd year of teaching band and in his 13th year as the band director at Mountain Brook Junior High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He has previously taught band 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, in January of 2007 for the New Horizons at UAB, The Bessemer Rotary Club, and the Vestavia Hills Lions Club. His research interests include band history and early Birmingham history including cultural development at the time of the founding of the city. His doctoral dissertation is 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, 2010, and 2013 University of Montevallo Honor Band. He conducted one of the Midfest honor bands at the University of Georgia middle school honor band in December 2010.
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 and has two children who both play in the band at their school. In his spare time, he likes to read and ride motorcycles. He hopes to ride his BMW R1150RT motorcycle across America one day. |
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