Chris R. Pulley has served at Belton Middle School as the Director of Bands since 2020. He also serves as the Middle School Band Coordinator for TMEA Region 8. Mr. Pulley is a proud summa cum laude graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University where he earned the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Wind Conducting degrees. An Eagle Scout and a native of Missouri, Mr. Pulley fully appreciates the value of music education in Texas. In 2019, Mr. Pulley earned Belton ISD’s Every Kid A Winner Award, and he was named Belton ISD’s Fine Arts Teacher of the Year for 2020.
Mr. Pulley was formerly the Director of Bands at South Belton Middle School where his bands earned annual Sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluations. While at SBMS, Mr. Pulley’s students consistently earned significant placements in the TMEA All-Region Band, and he established a thriving middle school jazz band, the first of its kind in Belton ISD. Mr. Pulley’s professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, and ATPE.
Mr. Pulley conducts the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, and teaches all beginning brass classes (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, & tuba). His primary instrument is trombone and he has been playing for over 30 years. In 2022, Mr. Pulley was nominated and earned the Big Red Heart Award.
Patrick Trahan has served at Belton Middle School as the assistant director since 2020. Prior to Belton Middle School Mr. Trahan was an assistant director at Lake Belton Middle School and North Belton Middle School. Mr. Trahan has been teaching music in Texas for 15 years, including some time at the University of Texas at Brownsville teaching saxophone and jazz studies. Mr. Trahan earned a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, TX (summa cum laude).
Mr. Trahan earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education form The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Mr. Trahan is an active performer having played throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, Mexico, and throughout the United States, as well as a recording artist with music playing all over the world. As a performer/educator Mr. Trahan has endorsements from P. Mauriat Saxophones, Theo Wanne Mouthpieces, D’Addario Woodwinds, BG Ligatures, Lomax Classical Mouthpieces, AMT Microphones, and Hercules Stands. Mr. Trahan conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches all of the beginning woodwind classes (flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon). In 2022, Mr. Trahan was nominated and earned the Big Red Heart Award.
Ian Smith has taught at both the middle school and high school level in Texas. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University, where he was the drumline captain and staff arranger for the famed “Golden Band from Tigerland”. For the past 20 years, he has been a clinician for N8 Rhythm/ Percussion One, which is an educational and performance vehicle that operates in the Houston area, as well as teaching for the Yamaha Sounds of Summer series. Along with Texas, he has written music for and instructed groups all over the southeastern United States, including schools in Louisiana and Florida, and the Louisiana All-Star Band.
Belton Middle School Band 