2009-2010 School Year

Band Director - Joel Miller

Joel Miller serves as the Pride of Newark’s new Assistant Director of Bands, drill writer, and brass caption head. He is also currently Director of Bands at Wilson Middle School as well as two of Newark’s elementary band programs. His main instrument is French horn.

Prior to his appointment at Newark, Mr. Miller was the director of bands at Crestview High School where he served as the director for grades 5 – 12 for two years. In addition to teaching, he has been active in arranging, composing as well as serving as a drill writer for numerous competitive marching bands. He has also served as a guest clinician, adjudicator, conductor and composer for various high schools.

Mr. Miller is a native of Sandusky, Ohio and a graduate of Perkins High School. Mr. Miller attended The University of Akron where he earned his bachelor’s degree in music education. During his time in Akron, Mr. Miller performed with many of the University’s instrumental and choral ensembles as well as the nationally-ranked Brass Band of the Western Reserve.

Assistant Band Director - Diana Wightman

Diana has been an associate band director with the Newark City Schools since 1995 and is the new director of the band program at Liberty Middle School. Her involvement with the Pride of Newark Marching Band has included drill and music instruction, as well as music arranging. She also has assisted with the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Ensemble. Prior to this year, she was the director at Wilson Middle School for 13 years, where her students were actively involved in OMEA Solo, Ensemble, and Large Group events. For the past eight years, she has organized the band portion of the Newark Middle School Solo and Ensemble Festival. In 1996, she created the Wilson Middle School Stage Band, which has performed at the Strawberries on the Square Festival, the Utica Jazz Festival, many community and school performances, as well as the annual Evening of Jazz concert with the NHS Jazz Band. With Diana continuing as director, this year the Wilson Stage Band became the Newark Middle School Stage Band, boasting 29 members from all three Newark Middle Schools.

Before joining the faculty in Newark, she taught in the Catholic Elementary Band Program operated by Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton. She also served as the assistant band director for the CJHS band program. While in Dayton, she helped create and served as director of the Centerville Community Band, now in its 23rd year.

Ms. Wightman received her Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University. Her major instruments are euphonium and trombone. She also has a background in flute and piano. She has performed as principal euphonium in the Sinclair Community Wind Ensemble, the Heisey Wind Ensemble, as well as in brass bands and community bands around the state. Ms. Wightman currently serves the Ohio Music Education Association as Secretary-Treasurer of District 10, as well as Chair of the District Middle School Honors Band. She is a member of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, the Kappa Delta Pi education honorary, the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary, and is a recipient of the Newark City Schools Commitment to Excellence Award.