SCAPA BAND

Robin Barker, SCAPA Band Director, is currently in her thirty ninth year of teaching with Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky, and has been the Director of Bands at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts since 2002. She is also the band director at Picadome Elementary.  She teaches Computer Applications for Music and Community Service through Music along with all the band classes at SCAPA.  Ms. Barker has been a private flute instructor for 47 years. 

Ms. Barker earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Morehead State University, performing under the direction of Robert Hawkins and Dr. Earle Louder. While attending MSU, Mrs. Barker studied flute with Dr. Robert Pritchard and voice with Vasile Venettozzi. She earned her Masters of Arts in Secondary Education from Georgetown College.   She is also a graduate of Franklin-Monroe H.S., Pitsburg, Ohio.   Her high school band director, Mike Gallehue, inspired her to pursue a career in music education.

Robin Barker is a member of the Capital City Community Band, the Advocate Messenger Band and the Madison County Community Band.  She has served as a part-time minister of music at Tatesbrook Baptist Church and Victory Baptist Church, directing all choirs and the orchestra. Ms. Barker has been a part of the Lexington Singers as well as several gospel groups.   She is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church. 

Robin has served as an adjudicator and clinician. Her professional affiliations include Kentuckians for the Arts, American Federation of Musicians, National Association for Music Educators, Kentucky Music Educators Association, Kentucky Music Teachers National Association, National Band Association, Women Band Directors International, American School Band Directors Association- Kentucky State Chair, National Flute Association, Flute Society of Kentucky, Christian Educators Association International, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Kappa Phi, and Kappa Delta Pi.   Ms. Barker was the recipient of the 2010-2011 Kentucky Music Educators Association District 7 Middle School Teacher of the Year.   She has received the KMEA 25, 30, 35 year service award, and the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, twice.  She currently serves as the KMEA State Middle School Band Chair.

Under her direction, the School for Creative and Performing Arts Middle School Band has consistently received distinguished ratings at the KMEA Concert Band Assessment.  The band was featured at the U.K. Middle School Middle School Band Invitational in 2010, the Phi Beta Mu Concert Band Festival in 2017, Music for All Cincinnati Regional Concert Band Festival in 2019 and U.K. Music for All U.K Windfest in 2022. In 2012, SCAPA M.S. Band had the honor of performing at the KMEA Professional Development Conference.  The band was featured again at the KMEA Professional Development Conference in 2023. The SCAPA Middle School Band was named a 2012 Commended Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Competition sponsored by the Foundation for Music Education.  In 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022, SCAPA Middle School Band was selected at the State Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Competition.  The SCAPA Middle School Band also received the prestigious Magna Cum Laude Award, sponsored by Women Band Directors International, and is only the fourth band to have ever received this distinction.

Robin and her husband Paul reside in Lexington and have three children, Nathan, Whitney and Gabrielle.   Nathan received his Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Kentucky and is the band director at Crawford M.S. Whitney is a graduate of Morehead State University with a degree in Art Education and is the art teacher at SCAPA. Gabrielle has a degree in vocal performance from the University of Kentucky.  Gabrielle and her husband Dr.Tyler Bennett reside in Georgia where Gabrielle is a private vocal teacher and performs with the Atlanta Opera. 

Aaron Jones- SCAPA  Assistant Band Director

Aaron Jones is currently the Associate Director of Bands at Lafayette and also serves as the Assistant Director at SCAPA Bluegrass. At Lafayette, he directs the percussion ensemble, concert band, and jazz band while also assisting Ms. Robin Barker at SCAPA Bluegrass. Under his direction, the concert and jazz programs at Lafayette have both earned distinguished ratings in KMEA Assessment, with the Percussion Ensemble being selected to perform at the 2021 KMEA Music Educators Conference. 

Before coming to Lafayette and SCAPA Bluegrass, Aaron was at Millbrooke Elementary in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where he served as a general music teacher and band director. While there, he was on staff with the Hopkinsville High School Band Program when they were consistent State Finalists and named the 2016 4A KMEA State Marching Band Champions. In 2013, he was named Millbroke’s District Elementary Teacher of the year.  Outside of music, he worked as a Kentucky Department of Education Regional Arts Representative where he aided in providing support to fellow arts teachers in his region. 

Aaron has been on staff as either an educator and/or arranger at programs, such as the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps (2007 Drum Corps International Division III Champions and High Percussion Award), The University of Texas El Paso Marching Miners, Akins High School of Austin TX., Eastern High School, and Daviess County High School. He has performed and studied in Brazil and Spain and performed throughout the United States. 

Aaron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Morehead State University and a Master’s in Teacher Leadership through the University of the Cumberlands. Aaron resides in Lexington with his amazing and supportive wife Delana, their son Anderson, and daughter Emilynn.

Paul Deatherage- SCAPA Percussion Instructor

Paul Deatherage is the percussion instructor at SCAPA Bluegrass. He is also the adjunct instructor for drumset at the University of Kentucky and the applied percussion instructor at Centre College. He is on percussion staff for Lafayette High School, a twenty-two-time Kentucky State Marching Band Champion and a Sudler Flag of Honor recipient.

Paul has an active career as a freelance drummer. He currently holds the drumset chair for the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra, the Raleigh Dailey Trio, the Osland/Dailey Jazztet, the Walnut Street Ramblers, and the Ross Whitaker Trio.

Paul Deatherage resides in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife, Catherine and two stepsons, Jackson and Ransom who are both a part of the SCAPA program.