THS Band Directors Win Award

Date:December 19, 2007

Congratulations to Vance Wigginton, director of bands for the Tupelo Public School District, and his wife, Dale, an assistant band director at Tupelo High, for jointly winning the state’s Outstanding Bandmaster Award.

Each year the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, in conjunction with the Mississippi Bandmasters Association Inc. recognizes an outstanding band director for the state of Mississippi. This award is chosen and announced at the Mississippi Bandmasters Association State Clinic/Convention held in December of each year. This year was the 70th State Band Clinic and the 40th year to present the Outstanding Bandmaster Award. Criteria for the award includes a minimum of 7 years teaching experience, has demonstrated the professional, personal, and leadership characteristics associated with an award of this nature, and must be a member in good standing of the MBA of which there are approximately 300.

This year’s recipient of the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Mississippi Band Director of the Year is the husband and wife team of Vance and Dale Wigginton of Tupelo. This is only the third time in the 40 year history of the award that a husband and wife team have received this award. Mr. and Mrs. Wigginton have taught together for 20 of their 23 years of teaching experience. They have taught together in Booneville, Vicksburg, and Tupelo.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Wigginton have extensive experience as clinicians and adjudicators throughout the southeastern United States and Texas. They have also both held state offices with the Mississippi Bandmasters Association as well as numerous committee chair positions. Dale Wigginton is the colorguard representative for Mississippi in the Mississippi Indoor Colorguard and Percussion Association, and her Winterguard group, Tsunami, won the 2007 State Championship. Her concert bands and ensembles have consistently received superior ratings at all levels. She has also received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Vicksburg Middle School.

Vance Wigginton is a past recipient of the A. E. McClain Outstanding Young Band Director for the State of Mississippi, The George Henry Schultz Award for the Outstanding Band Director for north Mississippi, was inducted into the Delta State University’s Music Hall of Fame, and is this year’s award winner for the National Federation of High Schools Outstanding Music Educator Award for the southeastern United States. Along with Tim Matlock and Jason Beghtol, Mr. and Mrs. Wigginton were the directors of the 2006 State Champion Tupelo High School Marching Band. They have stated that they are most proud of the successes enjoyed by their present and former students.