Mrs. Shannon Poor Bear is starting her fourteenth year of teaching instrumental music, and sixth year as the 5th and 6th Band Director at Storm Lake MS! Her most important goal is to bring a love and appreciation of music into the classroom, as well as the school and community.

Mrs. Poor Bear grew up in Central Nebraska and graduated from Burwell Jr. - Sr. High School in Burwell, Nebraska. She is a graduate of the University of Sioux Falls (BA, 2009), and Kent State University (MA 2017).

In addition to keeping busy with music activities, Mrs. Poor Bear enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and her dog, as well as reading, watching movies and favorite tv shows, taking walks, traveling, and being with family and friends.  

Ms. Cindy Mickens  

Mr. Corbet Butler is in his fifth year of teaching 9-12 Instrumental Music at Storm Lake High School. He is originally from Spirit Lake, IA and is a 2011 graduate of Buena Vista University (B.A. Music Education). He currently teaches high school band, mariachi, music theory, and offers individual lessons. 

During his tenure, ensembles at Storm Lake have routinely received high praise at public performances, including Division I ratings at IHSMA festivals. Ensembles Numerous students have also been selected for area honor bands, orchestras, and All-State ensembles. Mr. Butler previously taught for seven years at Alta-Aurelia High School; the Warrior Jazz Ensemble earned back-to-back Class 2A State Champion honors in 2013 and 2014.

Since 2015, Mr. Butler has served as an adviser for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music, which tours through seven countries in Europe with a band and choir of students from all over the State of Iowa. This is a biennial opportunity reserved for Iowa's musicians who exemplify leadership, citizenship, and musicianship in their school music programs. As of 2023, 16 students from Storm Lake area communities have participated in this prestigious program.

Outside of his duties as an educator, Corbet enjoys pursuing additional passions. An avid gamer, he is a professional commentator for the video game ‘Starcraft 2’, and has provided commentary for professional international esports events such as Dreamhack and the Electronic Sports League (ESL). A tubist, he is a Minnesota Brass Drum & Bugle Corp alumnus, and frequently performs with municipal bands in Storm Lake, Le Mars, and Fort Dodge.