James Miculka

James Miculka
Director of Fine Arts,  Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX

James began teaching band at Elisha M. Pease Middle School when the school first opened in 1975.  This instrumental program grew from 75 students to over 200 students in a short period of time, laying claim to 3 consecutive University Interscholastic League Sweepstakes Awards in Concert and Sightreading.

 In 1978, James became the Assistant Director of Bands at John Marshall High School, and a year and a half later, became the youngest Class 4A head band director inTexas.  For 12 years (1978-90),  the John Marshall Ram Band remained on the cutting edge of contemporary music design and performance presentation.  During this tenure at Marshall High School, the Ram Band received 12 consecutive University Interscholastic League Sweepstakes Awards in Concert and Sightreading Contest.  The Ram Band qualified for the Texas State Marching Contest in ’78, 81’,83’, 85’,’87, and ’90.  The Ram Band was selected as a finalist in the state contest on 3 occasions, in ’85, ’87, and ’90.  For 8 consecutive years, the Ram Band was a finalist or grand champion of the Southwest Regional of the Marching Bands of America Contest.

Other John Marshall High School Band achievements include selection as the Goodwill Tour Ambassador to China, Seaworld of Texas Grand Opening Command Performance
For National TV, Tournament of Roses Parade / Pasadena, California, Command Performance for The United States Olympic Team, host for “The President’s Own – The United States Marine Band / Washington, D.C., and numerous National Band Championship Awards in concert, jazz, and marching festivals. 

From 1980-90, the Ram Band produced 54 Texas All-State Band Students and 32 students that are currently teaching music in Texas Public Schools.

From 1990 to the present, James has served as the Director of Fine Arts for NISD, succeeding the founder of our district fine arts department, Mr. Robert Lewis.  In the 17 years of service at the district administrative level, the NISD Department of Fine Arts has  
developed full comprehensive programs in all fine arts disciplines, to include art, band, choir, dance, mariachi, orchestra, and theatre.  These fine arts disciplines of study have grown in student enrollment from 9,500 students in 1990 to 71,000 in 2007.

James received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Mary’s University in 1975, and a Master of Administration Degree from The University of Texas in 1978.  James holds additional certifications in Supervision and Mid-Management.  He is a trained music adjudicator in the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and holds active memberships in TMEA, TBA, TCDA, TODA, TETA, and TAPHERD.

Serving as the Cadre Chair for Performance Assessment for the Texas Education Agency Initiative through the Center for Educational Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA), James is an active state and national presenter in all fine arts content areas that target performance assessment.  He has served on University Interscholastic League committees to revise and define performance standards in the arts, as well as to define various rubric construction methods used in national performance adjudication score sheets.

James has been active as an adjunct professor for The University of The Incarnate Word, teaching brass/woodwind methodology courses and music theory.  In his spare time, he plays trumpet professionally in jazz combos and big bands.  Currently, he plays French horn in his church orchestra.

James is married to his wife Cheryl, an insurance underwriter and certified real estate agent.  They have two grown children, a son Eric (Marshall HS Graduate ’98) and a daughter Elise (OConnor Graduate ’03). 

Dr. Sharon Chumley

Dr. Charlsey Sharon Chumley
Supervisor of Visual Arts, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX

Sharon began teaching in Northside ISD in August, 1995, as a Middle School Visual Arts and Computer instructor and then moved into administration with Northside Fine Arts Department in August, 2001, as the Visual Arts Supervisor.

Sharon received a BS in Visual Arts and Education from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX; a MA in Professional Studies and Visual Arts from the University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, TX; and an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction with Specialization in Visual Arts and Computer Graphics from the University of Houston University Park, Houston, TX.   She possesses Lifetime Texas Teacher Certification in all level art, secondary English, and elementary classroom.   Sharon is a perpetual student and has continued learning through multiple hours of training including Administrative Internship Management, Instructional Leadership Training, and studio art classes.  Sharon taught middle school, high school, university, and graduate level Visual Arts and also middle school computer, journalism, and English for 17 years before moving to San Antonio; she also served in leadership roles of department and committee chairs during this time-frame.

Sharon was honored in 2005 by receiving the award for the Outstanding Art Educator in the division of Supervision and Administration for the state of Texas.  She is a current member and serves in various roles in the Texas Art Education Association, National Art Education Association, and San Antonio Art Education Association.

Sharon is an artist having utilized her talent to develop skills in many, varied art media; this self-development is something she believes extremely necessary in order to teach the many art media available to students.  Among her favorite art media are watercolor painting, woodcut printmaking, ceramics, fiber arts, drawing, and computer art.  Additionally, Sharon’s areas of expertise include teaching, curriculum writing, staff development, program development, and staff management.  Sharon developed the Northside Ceramic Enterprise, a successful and ongoing teacher training program.  She also aided in securing and implementing a substantial U.S. Department of Education Grant for the Professional Development of Art Educators.  Sharon has had personal artwork published in Texas Trends in Art Education, has published various journal articles, has published a teacher reproducible book and software, and has just completed writing the Northside Kiln Manual.  Sharon enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with other educators by presenting workshops and speaking at various local, state, and national fine arts conferences; her dissertation findings were presented at the National Art Education Association Conference in Washington DC.

Sharon is married to her husband, Gary, retired software engineer for space program at IBM NASA, Houston, and current adjunct math instructor at St. Phillips College, San Antonio. They have two grown children, a son Zane (computer software project manager) and a daughter Heidi (family physician and university medical school instructor).

David L. Cain
Supervisor of Vocal Music K - 12, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX

David began teaching in Northside ISD in August, 1980, as an Elementary Music Specialist and eventually a Middle School Choral Director through 1990. After directed the choral program at Alamo Heights ISD, he returned to Northside in 1997 as an Elementary Music Specialist. He entered administration as the Lead Elementary Music Teacher in 2000 and was promoted to Elementary Music Supervisor in 2002. Middle School and High School Choral Music were added in latter years.

David received a Bachelors of Music Education from University of North Texas in Denton, TX and a Masters of Music Education with a Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. He has additional studies at Westminster Choir College, San Jose State University, and UTSA. He received his Orff Certification at Memphis State University and his Kodály Certification at Holy Names University with Lois Choksy. David has studied choral conducting with Dr. Arpad Darazs, Robert Shaw, Sir David Willocks, Dr. Charlene
Archibeque, Dr. John Silantien, Roger Melone, and Helen Kemp. David possesses an All-Level Music Teaching Certificate from Texas and California. He continues to learn and teach at each level, children to adults, infant to senior citizens, public school to college classes, and All-District Elementary Choir to St. Matthew’s UMC.

David has been honored as an outstanding teacher at Gates Elementary, directed festivals for several different school districts and churches, organized and presented workshops and in-services for teachers at all levels, adjudicated choirs, singers, and instrumentalists.
He has also directed operas, musicals, and plays for the community. He has performed with the San Antonio Symphony as a guest soloist, the San Antonio Mastersingers, the Trinity University Chorus, the Falcon Singers, and UTSA Choral Ensembles. He has accompanied singers, instrumentalists, and chamber ensembles as a pianist. He has accompanied for choirs and Suzuki string students at several major universities.

David is a musician who continues to be involved in assisting teachers to grow musically.
He is on the Executive Board of Kodály Educators of Texas. Central Texas Orff Chapter has awarded him Honorary Lifetime Membership for his encouragement of teacher training development. He is a member of TMEA, TMAC, TCDA & ACDA, CEDFA (cadre member), O.A.K.E., and A.O.S.A. David has secured various grants for teachers training and development as well as grants for instruments and equipment for schools. He has been instrumental in bringing many performing groups to students and secured funding for students to attend plays, symphony concerts, musicals, and theater productions. David has been asked to be a guest speaker at several local universities as part of their music education programs.

David is married to his wife, Kathleen, an executive at USAA in San Antonio. They have two children, a son Robert (executive chef in Costa Rica) and a daughter Ashley (college student majoring in Musical Theater at Oklahoma City University).