Private Lessons:

Woodwinds – Mr. Mickey Owens – mcowens1960@gmail.com
Brass – Mr. Eugene Lebeaux – lebotai@gmail.com
Percussion – Mr. Jay Majernik – jay.majernik@bishoplynch.org

Instructors:

Andrew Balettie – Director of Bands

Mr. Balettie has served as the Director of Bands at BLHS since 2017. Under his direction, the Marching Friar Band has finished in the top 3 each year at the TPSMEA State Marching Contest and two “Best in Group” finishes at USBands contests. The Symphonic Band has earned “Superior” Ratings at the TPSMEA Concert and Sightreading Festival and performed in Los Angeles as a part of the Disney Performing Arts “Soundtrack Session.

Prior to joining the faculty at Bishop Lynch, Mr. Balettie served as the Associate Director of Bands at Frisco High School in Frisco, TX. Ensembles under Mr. Balettie’s direction have consistently earned UIL sweepstakes awards and superior ratings at festivals, and gained national recognition through the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors program. They have achieved the highest levels of marching success and have been named Grand Champion twice at the Little Elm Classic on the Lake Marching Festival.

Mr. Balettie graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. At UNT, he performed with the UNT Concert Band, the UNT Symphonic Band, the Green Brigade Marching Band, the Phi Tau Chorale, Phi Tau Winds, the UNT Secondary Band and the L.A.M.E. Saxophone Quartet.

Mr. Balettie and his wife Liz have a son, Cole, and a dog, Mia.

Jay Majernik – Director of Percussion

Mr. Majernik joined the Bishop Lynch band program in 2004. He directs the drumline, percussion ensemble and assists with the marching, concert, and jazz bands. The drumline has won 6 state championships under his direction. The percussion ensemble concludes the school year with their own concert. His students garner first place ratings at solo and ensemble contests each year.

Mr. Majernik is an accomplished performer as well. He has been a section percussion member of the Plano Symphony Orchestra for almost 25 years. He recently retired from the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra after 19 years. Other orchestras with which he performs are Irving Symphony, New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving, and Garland/Las Colinas Symphony among others. He is also an active pit musician with musical theatre productions. Theatre Three, Water Tower Theatre, and Junior Players of Dallas are among the companies with which he has recently performed.

He currently endorses Evans drumheads, Paiste cymbals and Pro-Mark drumsticks and mallets.

Mr. Majernik is married to author Laura Leigh Majernik. They have 2 sons, John 12 and Noah 9, and 2 dogs, Wally and Yeti.

James Thomas – Director of Guard

Mr. Thomas is a well known color guard designer and choreographer throughout the United States.  He has had the opportunity to design and work with award winning bands from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Georgia, Florida, and Oklahoma.

He has also worked with several groups on the Drum Corps International circuit throughout the years.  Mr. Thomas also works with Bowl Games of America, where he has choreographed large scale productions for such events as the Sugar Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Liberty Bowl, the Alamo Bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade and many other large scale productions.   Mr. Thomas is also a judge with the Texas State Judges Association where he serves as an adjudicator throughout the state during the winter guard season.  Mr. Thomas is a native of California where he had the opportunity to perform with some of the top winter guards and drum and bugle corps in the country growing up.  He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently resides in Carrollton.