Dennis Kerr is a native of Kansas graduating from Wichita North High (1977) and receiving his Bachelor
of Music Education ('81) and Masters of Music Education ('89) from Wichita State University where he
met his lovely and talented wife Ellen.
He began his 40-year teaching career in the Wichita Public Schools teaching beginning Band and Orchestra, then spent 7 years in Goddard rebuilding a program that had been struggling. The next eight years were spent in Blackwell, OK directing a program that included a successful Jazz, Marching, Concert Band and Winterguard. In 1998 Dennis moved back to Kansas to Conway Springs and spent 24 years building and maintaining a program that the community is proud of, maintaining a strong concert band program that represents the community and state with outstanding performances at festivals and concerts.
Mr. Kerr traveled extensively with his Bands, participating in Music Festivals in New Orleans, Houston, Orlando and San Antonio, the Bluebonnet Bowl Parade and Marching Band Contest in Houston, Circus World, Cypress Gardens and Worlds of Fun. His bands were selected to perform at Disney World seven times. In addition to their own bands and choirs, Dennis and Ellen also traveled with the Kansas and Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music to Europe, with musicians from Oklahoma and Kansas, and served as trip coordinators in Oklahoma. He believes that travel with music organizations not only helps with retention in a program but also introduces students to experiences outside of their comfort zone, teaching them that sharing their music with others away from their hometown can be a very rewarding experience.
A respected adjudicator for Concert Band, Marching Band, Winter Guard, and Winter Drumlines, Dennis worked with multiple programs hiring adjudicators for Marching Band, Winter Guard, Concert Band and Solo and Ensemble Festivals. He often judged in KS, OK, MO, NB, OH, AR and judged in Chicago and Nashville.
Dennis served as President of Kansas Bandmasters 2013-2015 as well as the KBA Marching Band Championship Chairman. During 2016-2019 Dennis and his wife Ellen served as the KMEA 1234A All-State Co-Chairs. He served as President and Contest Director for the Oklahoma Color Guard Association, Judge coordinator for the MidAmerica Performing Arts Association, and President of the Red-Carpet Directors Association in Northwestern Oklahoma. He has been a member of MENC/NAfME since 1981, a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, WGPOKLA & MCCGA Judging associations in the Mid-west, Phi Beta Mu and KBA.
Mr. Kerr resides in Conway Springs with his wife Ellen as they look forward to retirement at the end of the 2022 school year. They have two grown sons, Kevin (Meatball) who is the Program Director and on-air DJ for KICT, T-95 in Wichita Kansas and Cory who is a Pharmacy operations supervisor at Accredo Pharmaceuticals in Cincinnati, OH.
Dennis attributes his successful career to his Instructors, Mentors, and Colleagues through his college and teaching career. But most of all to his students who helped keep him feeling young while following him down the path of musical excellence.
He began his 40-year teaching career in the Wichita Public Schools teaching beginning Band and Orchestra, then spent 7 years in Goddard rebuilding a program that had been struggling. The next eight years were spent in Blackwell, OK directing a program that included a successful Jazz, Marching, Concert Band and Winterguard. In 1998 Dennis moved back to Kansas to Conway Springs and spent 24 years building and maintaining a program that the community is proud of, maintaining a strong concert band program that represents the community and state with outstanding performances at festivals and concerts.
Mr. Kerr traveled extensively with his Bands, participating in Music Festivals in New Orleans, Houston, Orlando and San Antonio, the Bluebonnet Bowl Parade and Marching Band Contest in Houston, Circus World, Cypress Gardens and Worlds of Fun. His bands were selected to perform at Disney World seven times. In addition to their own bands and choirs, Dennis and Ellen also traveled with the Kansas and Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music to Europe, with musicians from Oklahoma and Kansas, and served as trip coordinators in Oklahoma. He believes that travel with music organizations not only helps with retention in a program but also introduces students to experiences outside of their comfort zone, teaching them that sharing their music with others away from their hometown can be a very rewarding experience.
A respected adjudicator for Concert Band, Marching Band, Winter Guard, and Winter Drumlines, Dennis worked with multiple programs hiring adjudicators for Marching Band, Winter Guard, Concert Band and Solo and Ensemble Festivals. He often judged in KS, OK, MO, NB, OH, AR and judged in Chicago and Nashville.
Dennis served as President of Kansas Bandmasters 2013-2015 as well as the KBA Marching Band Championship Chairman. During 2016-2019 Dennis and his wife Ellen served as the KMEA 1234A All-State Co-Chairs. He served as President and Contest Director for the Oklahoma Color Guard Association, Judge coordinator for the MidAmerica Performing Arts Association, and President of the Red-Carpet Directors Association in Northwestern Oklahoma. He has been a member of MENC/NAfME since 1981, a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, WGPOKLA & MCCGA Judging associations in the Mid-west, Phi Beta Mu and KBA.
Mr. Kerr resides in Conway Springs with his wife Ellen as they look forward to retirement at the end of the 2022 school year. They have two grown sons, Kevin (Meatball) who is the Program Director and on-air DJ for KICT, T-95 in Wichita Kansas and Cory who is a Pharmacy operations supervisor at Accredo Pharmaceuticals in Cincinnati, OH.
Dennis attributes his successful career to his Instructors, Mentors, and Colleagues through his college and teaching career. But most of all to his students who helped keep him feeling young while following him down the path of musical excellence.