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Andrew McCraw - Director of Bands
Andrew McCraw - Director of Bands
Andrew McCraw is in his 13th year teaching, and his 8th at Bowman. He conducts the Wind Ensemble, Raider Winds, Jazz Band, and teaches beginner Trombone, Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon classes, and assists with the Symphonic Band and Concert Band. Bands under Mr. McCraw's direction have consistently received sweepstakes at UIL competitions and various festivals in the DFW area. Prior to arriving at Bowman, Mr. McCraw spent 5 years as the Assistant Band Director at Marsh Middle School in Dallas.
In 2013, Mr. McCraw graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with his Bachelors in Music. While at Ouachita, Mr. McCraw was the principal Trombone in the Ouachita Wind Ensemble, Low Brass section leader in the Tiger marching band, and principal Trombone in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band. He studied conducting under Dr. Craig Hamilton, and trombone under Dr. Justin Isenhour and Dr. Josh Bynum.
Mr. McCraw plays Trombone professionally in the Dallas Area with the Jordan Kahn Music Company, and is also a member of the Prestonwood Orchestra.
In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, watching sports, and spending time with his wife, Carla, and their two sons, Hayden(10) and Finley(7).
Email: andrew.mccraw@pisd.edu
Mark Caspersen - Associate Director
Mark Caspersen - Associate Director
Mark Caspersen is currently in his 39th year of teaching. His teaching experiences range from teaching in a very small school system in rural Kansas, to a large 5A program in Oklahoma, to the Plano Public School system of the Dallas Fort Worth area. His bands have received state and national honors. Sweepstakes awards in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. During his tenure in Ponca City, Oklahoma, his band was the Oklahoma Representative for the George W. Bush Presidential Inauguration. Mr. Caspersen was the 2015 Teacher of the year for Bowman Middle School, and was named a top educator for Plano ISD and received the Excellence in Teaching Award. He also receieved the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Parent Teachers Association for Plano.
Mr. Caspersen's professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu. He is also working with the Plano ISD on a new curriculum that will incorporate the elementary music education into the secondary curriculm further expanding the way we teach music.
Mr. Caspersen is currently in his nineteenth year as the Director of Bands for Bowman Middle School. During his tenure he has seen the program of under 100 members to its current size of over 300 members. Bowman is very proud that 90 percent of the school's population is involved in a music program.
Email: mark.caspersen@pisd.edu
Deborah Salinas - Associate Director
Deborah Salinas - Associate Director
Deborah Salinas is originally from Brandenburg, Kentucky, and brings over 30 years of teaching experience to our campus. She earned her degree in Music Education from the University of Kentucky and continued her studies in performance at Illinois State University. Deborah taught in Alice, Texas for 24 years before spending the last 7 years at Carpenter Middle School, where shw was teacher of the year in 2024-25. Recently, Mrs. Salinas earned an excellence in teaching award from Plano ISD, and was named in the top 10 of teacher of the year for all of Plano ISD!
She and her husband Dave, who works at Schimelpfenig Middle School, have two daughters—Sydney, who attends Texas Woman’s University, and Allie, a student at Prosper High School. They also share their home with a spirited blue heeler named Dallas.
In her free time, Deborah enjoys singing, traveling, and reading—and fun fact: she’s even related to Abraham Lincoln!
Email: deborah.salinas@pisd.edu
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