Director of Bands
Jason Prasifka
469-752-7762
Jason.Prasifka@pisd.edu

Mr. Jason Prasifka is the Director of Bands at Shepton High School. Prior to coming to Plano, Mr. Prasifka worked for 9 years in the Frisco ISD. While in Frisco, Mr. Prasifka worked both at the middle school and high school level. In 2003 he was appointed Director of Bands at Centennial High School. Mr. Prasifka's bands have consistently received superior ratings in both marching and concert & sight reading contests. In 2005, the CHS Wind Ensemble was named Best in Class at the South Coast Music Festival in Corpus Christi, and in 2006 the marching band advanced to the finals of the UIL Area C marching contest and the wind ensemble was named Best in Class and Most Outstanding Band at the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio.

Mr. Prasifka is a graduate of Texas A&M University at Commerce, studying conducting and instrumental methods with Tom Bennett.

His professional affiliations include membership in Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Who's Who Among Americas Teachers.

 

Assistant Director of Bands
Brian Davis
Brian.Davis@pisd.edu

A graduate of The Florida State University, The University of North Florida and the University of North Texas, Brian Davis comes to Shepton High School from Vines High School and Plano Senior High School. He just spent 1 year as the Assistant Band Director at Vines and Music Theory Teacher at PSHS. Before that Mr. Davis was the Band Director at Lee Middle School in Grand Prairie. Before becoming a band director Mr. Davis was on the faculty at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and also maintained a large private studio of low brass students in the DFW metroplex. Mr. Davis still actively performs on trombone and euphonium in such classical groups as the Dallas Wind Symphony and Dallas Symphony. Other groups he currently performs with are the variety band Soul Tsunami, the slasa/merengue group Carribean Breeze, big band Pecos River Brass. Mr. Davis is very excited to join the faculty at Shepton High School and be a part of a very high-achieving band program.

On a personal note Mr. Davis is a resident of Plano where he resides with his wife of 13 years, Bobbi, and 2 sons: Miles (age 11), and Frederick (age 7).

Percussion Instructor
Brandon Kelly

A native of New Jersey, percussionist Brandon Kelly received his undergraduate education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he studied percussion with Dr. Gary Olmstead. As an undergraduate Brandon was highly active in all of IUPs major ensembles ranging from pit percussionist for musicals and operas to orchestra, jazz ensemble and wind ensemble. He was also very active as a freelance musician, holding posts in both the Altoona Symphony Orchestra and the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. He was also very active as a soloist—his undergraduate years saw no fewer than three recitals.

Following IUP, Brandon pursued his Masters in Percussion Performance at the University of North Texas where he studied with several of the percussion faculty, including Mark Ford and Christopher Deane. At UNT Brandon was awarded a fellowship and as a result had the responsibilities of teaching undergraduate percussion lessons, percussion methods classes and directing UNT’s 12 O’clock Percussion Ensemble. As a performer Brandon was active in many of the university percussion ensembles, which include the university gamelan, south-Indian ensemble, and advanced classical ensemble. He also served as principal percussionist of the world renowned North Texas Wind Symphony.

Brandon was recently named as Coordinator of Percussion of the west cluster of the Plano school district—a suburb of Dallas. There he will guide all aspects of the percussion program, including private lessons, master classes, concert bands, and drumlines. Brandon is currently a member of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and makes regular appearances on recordings produced by the Keystone Wind Ensemble.