Dr. James Standland

Dr. James Standland has been an educator for 32 years having taught at the middle and high school levels as well as community college and university levels. Beginning in 1987, he taught middle school band for 6 years and in 1993, began teaching high school. After spending one year as an assistant, he was promoted to the Director of Bands at Marianna High School in Florida. While at Marianna, Standland’s bands received consistent superior ratings in both concert and marching band festivals and competitions. During his tenure in Florida, Standland received numerous honors and awards, but the one that carries the most pride is the enrollment award from the Florida Bandmasters Association for having a high percentage of the school’s student body in the band program. The Marianna program boasted a marching band of over 200 members, 3 concert bands, a jazz ensemble, and a percussion ensemble…all with a student population of just over 600. While still teaching at Marianna, Standland was able to complete the Master of Music Education degree for The University of Southern Mississippi in 1998.

In 2004, Standland had the honor of beginning a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Southern Mississippi, which he completed in 2008. He studied conducting with Dr. Thomas V. Fraschillo, Director of Bands, Emeritus and past president of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Upon finishing the coursework for the doctoral degree, Standland was offered the Assistant Director of Bands position and director of the Pride of Mississippi marching band. He held the Assistant Director of Bands position for thirteen years. While at Southern Miss, Standland’s marching band performed in university stadiums across the southeastern United States.  In 2006 his marching band was invited to Green Bay, Wisconsin to perform shows for pregame and halftime at Lambeau Field. In 2015, the marching band at Southern Miss had the distinct honor of being invited to perform in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland as well as the Limerick International Band Festival. Under Dr.

Standland’s direction, the band won “Best Overall Band” in Limerick and “Best Adult Band” in Dublin. In addition to stints as the marching band director at Southern Miss, his other duties included, instructor of undergraduate conducting, graduate conducting, methods courses, wind band literature, concert ensembles and director of the Golden Eagle basketball pep band.

Standland has been a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician in many parts of the United States as well as Italy. The highlight of his time spent in Italy was being a guest conductor for the Italian Army Band in Rome. Standland’s past and present membership affiliations include the Florida Bandmasters Association, The Texas Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Mississippi Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association and has also been inducted into the prestigious American School Band Directors Association and Phi Beta Mu International.

Standland has been married to his wife, Carol, for 31 years and they have 3 children, Drew, Tyler and Laura Lee. They reside in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.