2017-18 Arkansas State Marching Champion
2018-19 Arkansas State Marching Champion
2020-21 Arkansas State Marching Champion
2019-20 Arkansas All State Honor Band
2021-22 Arkansas State Marching Champion
2022-23 Arkansas State Marching Champion
Ron Smith, Director of Bands, is currently serving in his twentieth year as a member of the Van Buren Instrumental Music Department staff. A graduate of Alma (AR) High School, Mr. Smith holds a B.S.E. degree from the University of Arkansas as well as a M.Ed. degree from the University of Arkansas. Before accepting a position in the Van Buren School District, Mr. Smith conducted championship bands for eight years in the state of Oklahoma, consistently receiving accolades on the state and regional level.
While serving as the Director of Bands for the Van Buren Schools, Mr. Smith has added to the long and proud tradition of performance excellence that the Van Buren Instrumental Music Program is synonymous with throughout the state and region - including numerous marching band caption awards, class championships and overall championships, as well as the addition of 12 ASBOA Sweepstakes Awards to a legacy that spans more than thirty years consecutively.
Mr. Smith has served as the staff music arranger for numerous high school and university marching bands throughout the United States. Mr. Smith is also an active clinician, adjudicator and consultant throughout the southwest United States serving bands in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas, California and New Mexico. Mr. Smith's professional affiliations include ASBOA, ABA, OMEA, OBA, MENC, and Phi Beta Mu.
This year Mr. Smith will be celebrating his twenty-sixth year of marriage to his extremely wonderful and supportive wife Stephanie Everitt-Smith, PhD. The Smith's have two wonderful children – Dylan (16) and Bailey (13).
Dustin Chambers is a 1994 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in Instrumental Music Education. Mr. Dustin Chambers taught for the Collinsville School District (OK) until 1999, when he accepted the position of Director of Percussion Studies for the Van Buren School District. In 2009 Mr. Chambers accepted the position as the Assistant Band Director for Van Buren High School while also remaining as the Percussion Director for the district grades 6 through 12.
During his tenure at VBHS, the drum line has won many awards for outstanding drum line at the Arkansas Open Marching contest, the Arkansas Governor's Cup Marching Contest, The Northwest Arkansas Marching Classic contest, and most recently at Renegade Review in Tulsa, OK. The high school percussion ensemble has performed at the Arkansas Day of Percussion at the University of Arkansas.
Mr. Chambers frequently serves as an adjudicator for marching contests in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Currently he has been performing with the Fort Smith Symphony. Mr. Chambers is also a staff percussion arranger/composer for Jair Klarfeld Music. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the Vic Firth Education Team and an endorser of Evans Drumheads. Mr. Chambers plays drumset in the Grand Family Orchestra at Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith.
He is married to his wonderful wife Stacey and they have 2 children, Ariana and Davis.
Dr. Ryan Matejek comes to Van Buren following his most recent appointment serving as Visiting Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Oklahoma State University. Ryan holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Tuba Performance from Arizona State University, a Master of Music and Graduate Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship from University of Missouri, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Arkansas Tech University.
His teaching career also includes public school experience as a K–12 general music teacher and band director. Across these appointments, he has worked with students ranging from kindergarten to graduate students, giving him a broad understanding of the full educational spectrum.
As a performer, Ryan is the principal tuba player of the Fort Smith Symphony. He has previously held the principal tuba position with the Missouri Symphony and has performed with orchestras across the country, including the Phoenix Symphony, the Arkansas Symphony, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
Deeply committed to community music-making, Ryan is co-founder of the Arkansas Highlands Brass Band, a community-based brass ensemble created to provide high-quality brass band experiences for musicians in the region of Northwest Arkansas. Throughout his career he has also performed with the Frontier Brass Band in Edmond, Oklahoma, the Natural State Brass Band in Little Rock, Arkansas and the Salt River Brass Band in Mesa, Arizona. Other community ensembles he has performed with include the Columbia Civic Orchestra, the Fort Smith Community Band, and numerous Tuba Christmas ensembles. Through these collaborations, he champions accessible, intergenerational music-making and believes that these community ensembles play a vital role in sustaining lifelong engagement with the art form.
Brent Evans is in his third year as a member of the Van Buren Band Staff, joining the team after spending the past 5 years as a band director at Ramsey Junior High & Southside High Schools in Fort Smith (AR). Prior to coming to Arkansas, Mr. Evans spent 18 years directing bands in the State of Oklahoma where his bands were consistent OSSAA Sweepstakes winners.
Mr. Evans holds a degree in Instrumental Music Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK. As a member of the Van Buren Band Staff, Mr. Evans co-directs the Van Buren High School Concert band, coordinates the Van Buren High School Jazz program, directs the Butterfield Trail Middle School 7th grade band, assists with the Pointer Pride Marching Band, teaches beginning trumpet, & works with Van Buren Freshman Academy Bands in all aspects of performance & player development.
Mr. Evans is a member of Phi Beta Mu, OBA, ABA, ASBOA, & past-president of the Eastern Oklahoma Band Directors Association. He firmly believes teaching music at any level to be a ministry.
He currently resides in Sallisaw, OK with his wife of 28 years, Carol who teaches 1st grade at Liberty Elementary in Sallisaw. The Evans's also have 3 children, Hayden (25) who is an electrician for Lowder Brothers in Fort Smith, AR, daughter Haleigh (21) Senior Public Relations Major at Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, OK and Hope (19) a freshman at Oklahoma Christian University majoring in Vocal Music Education. They also are blessed with a beautiful daughter-in-law Jamie and their precious granddaughter Roseleigh. (15 months)
Garreth Atwell is a 2020 graduate of Arkansas Tech University where he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree. He has served as a band director in the Mountainburg School District and the Mountain Home School District. In his one year while at Mountainburg High School his band received straight superior ratings for the first time in over 20 years. At Mountain Home, Mr. Atwell has played a pivotal instructional role in the district's long history of successful concert and marching bands. While at Mountain Home he conducted the 9th grade band, assisted with the 7th grade brass and woodwind classes & the high school concert & marching band.
While at Arkansas Tech Mr. Atwell studied trumpet and horn under Dr. Gary Barrow, Dr. T.J. Perry, and Mr. Evan Mino. As a trumpet player he has performed in the ATU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Arkansas Music Works British Brass Band, and in trumpet festivals across Europe. As a horn player he has also performed in the ATU Symphonic Wind Ensemble at the 2018 College Band Directors National Association, and the Arkansas Music Works British Brass Band while they competed in North America British Brass Association’s national competition.
During his free time, Mr. Atwell enjoys watching tv, hiking, camping, and spending time with his family and his dog Korra.
Crystal Reeves is the Band Director at Northridge Middle School in Van Buren. Prior to coming to Van Buren, she served as the band director at Clarksville Junior High in Clarksville (AR). She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Arkansas Tech University and is a National Board Certified Teacher (2017). Mrs. Reeves is currently working on her Master of Education through Arkansas Tech University.
Mrs. Reeves serves as the single reed specialist for the Van Buren Public Schools teaching clarinet, saxophone, & low reeds throughout the district. She considers her own clarinet teachers, Mr. Earl Allain and Dr. Kelly Johnson as some of her greatest influences.
In 2017, the Northridge Middle School 8th grade band was selected as a featured performing group at the ArkMEA State Convention. Mrs. Reeves has served as a guest clinician throughout Arkansas and holds professional membership in ASBOA, ABA, and Phi Beta Mu.
She currently resides in Van Buren with her husband Brad, who is a band director at Van Buren High School, her 11-year-old daughter Avril Kay, who is a sixth grader at Northridge Middle School, and her 6-year-old daughter Harper Leigh, who is a first grader at Oliver Springs Elementary. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and enjoying all things Disney.
Jacob Lehman is a 2011 graduate of Van Buren High School and a 2015 graduate of Arkansas Tech University. While at Arkansas Tech, Mr. Lehman served as the field conductor for the Arkansas Tech Marching Band and was principal flutist for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Mr. Lehman also earned the prestigious Alfred J. Crabaugh Award, recognizing him as the outstanding male student at Arkansas Tech.
Prior to joining the Van Buren Band Staff Mr. Lehman served as the Band Director at Shiloh Christian High School in Springdale, AR. While at Shiloh Christian, the band earned numerous accolades in both marching band and concert band. Most notably, the Shiloh Christian Marching Band was named the Class 3A Silver Medalist at the 2019 Arkansas State Marching Championship.
Mr. Lehman is celebrating 5 years of marriage with his wife Rachel (formerly Rachel LeDat), also a proud alum of the Van Buren Band program. While at Van Buren High School Rachel was a 3 time All-State Clarinet player. Rachel has recently graduated from the University of Arkansas with a PhD in Mathematics. We are thrilled to have Mr. and Mrs. Lehman “RE” join our Van Buren Band family and know they will be a wonderful addition to our school district and community!
Piper Turner, a VB band alumna, graduated from Van Buren High School in 2018. She began attending Arkansas Tech University that fall, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music education, studying clarinet under Dr. Nicolas del Grazia. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in December of 2022.
While attending Arkansas Tech, Ms. Turner was the principal clarinetist of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble for 2 consecutive years. She also participated in Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Clarinet Choir and Marching Band, where she served as a section leader. In the spring of 2022 she was given the opportunity to be a student conductor for the ATU Concert Band. Ms. Turner played at the Midwest clinic in 2018 and in Carnegie Hall in 2021.
Ms. Turner completed her student teaching in the Bryant School District. During her time at Bryant, she had the opportunity to conduct the Bryant Concert Winds. In the spring of 2023, Ms. Turner became an Adjunct Music Teacher in the Fort Smith School District, where she taught woodwinds in grades 6-12.
In her free time, Ms. Turner enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing board games and relaxing at home with her cat, Oliver.
Allison Spears is a 2019 graduate of Van Buren High School. She attended Arkansas Tech University where she studied percussion under Mr. Philip Parker. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her bachelor’s degree in music education in December of 2023.
During her time at Arkansas Tech, Ms. Spears was the principal percussionist for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the drumline captain for the Band of Distinction for two years. Ms. Spears participated in Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Marching Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Brass Choir. She was also selected to be a student conductor for the Concert Band in the Spring of 2023. Ms. Spears, alongside Ms. Turner, also performed in Carnegie Hall in December of 2021.
During the Fall of 2023, Ms. Spears completed her student teaching in the Cabot School District. While in Cabot, she taught both drumline and front ensemble as well as conducting the White Band at the High School. Ms. Spears has taught drumline and front ensemble at Morrilton, Van Buren, Harrison, Pottsville, and Cabot over the last four years. Most recently, she has taught Family and Consumer Science as a long-term substitute at the Van Buren Freshman Academy, where she was named Teacher of the Month for March 2024.
Ms. Spears is currently engaged to her highschool sweetheart Aaron, and they will be married in March of 2025. As a side hobby, she has taken up photography and loves to get action shots of musicians. Ms. Spears enjoys disc golfing with her fiance, and spending time outdoors with friends. She is always creating something whether it is painting, making digital art/graphics on her iPad, or crocheting.
