•
Floyd Stevens grew up in Lucedale, in South Mississippi.
He graduated from Lucedale High School in 1962 and continued his
education at the University of Southern
Mississippi
graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.
He received a Master of Music Education degree in 1972 from the
University of Colorado with post graduate work at the University of
Mississippi, Delta State University, and the University of Southern
Mississippi. Mr. Stevens taught
in the Tishomingo County Schools starting the band programs at
Burnsville and Tishomingo Schools.
In the fall of 1966, Mr. Stevens moved to Tupelo where he taught
for 39 years, 4 years at Milam Junior High School and 35 years as
Director of Bands at Tupelo High School.
• Mr. Stevens’
Milam Junior High and Tupelo High School Bands consistently received
Superior ratings at regional festivals as well as State Band Festival in
Concert,
Sight Reading, and Marching. In
National Competitions the Tupelo Bands consistently earned Superior
Ratings and Best In Class Awards.
These Music Festivals included Tri-State Music Festival in Enid,
Oklahoma four times plus many other National Music Festivals throughout
the Eastern United States including San Antonio, Orlando, Tampa,
Chicago, and Washington, DC. The
Tupelo Band represented the State of Mississippi in the 1989
Presidential Inaugural Parade for President George Bush in Washington,
DC and in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Parade and Championship in Phoenix,
Arizona. In 1997 the Tupelo Band
Program was recognized with the ASBDA Award of Excellence for
Mississippi which recognizes band programs that consistently exhibit
high standards of excellence at all levels over long periods of time.
• Mr. Stevens is
a member of the Mississippi Bandmasters Association, a Past President
where he served on the Executive Committee for four years. While
serving on the
Executive Committee he was involved with the Band Organization’s
transition from the MMEA Band Division to the present Mississippi
Bandmasters Association serving as the second President of the present
MBA. He is a long time member of
the Northeast Mississippi Band Directors Association where he was
involved in the reorganization of the NEMBDA into its’ present day
format and has served as President twice.
Mr. Stevens is a long time member of both the American School
Band Directors Association and the National Band Association and served
many years as State Chairman of both organizations.
Mr. Stevens was elected to become a member of the prestigious
Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Band Fraternity and later served as its’
President. He has served on the
Executive Board of the Lee County Forestry Association.
Mr. Stevens is a charter member of the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra
where he has served on staff and as a performer with this professional
orchestra frequently heard on the Mississippi Public Broadcast program,
Mississippi Concert Hall.
He has also performed with Orchestras at USM, the University of
Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra.
• In 1971, Mr.
Stevens started the Mississippi Invitational Marching Festival, the
second oldest Marching Festival in the state and one of the most
successful
in the
Southeast, and served as Coordinator for 34 years.
In that same year he was instrumental in starting the Tupelo
Christmas Band Festival and Christmas Parade which consisted of two
parades and afternoon concerts by high school and University bands.
In 1985 Mr. Stevens was selected as concert director of the
Mississippi Lions All State Band.
In 1996, Mr. Stevens helped initiate the first “Drummin’ Down the Trace
Drum and Bugle Corps Contest” which annually brings the best drum and
bugle corps in the world to Tupelo.
In 2004 he was instrumental in initiating the first MHSAA-MBA
State Marching Band Championship and presently serves as Championship
Coordinator where he is responsible for all aspects of the Championship.
In 2006 Mr. Stevens was chosen to serve as Sight Reading
Coordinator for State Band Festival.
Mr. Stevens has adjudicated Festivals and Contests or served as a
clinician in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida,
Arkansas, and South Carolina.
• Mr. Stevens was
awarded the1982-83 Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Band Director Award for
Mississippi and the 1986 George Henry Schultz Award for the
Outstanding Band
Director of Northeast Mississippi.
He is a two time recipient of the National Band Association
“Citation of Excellence” award and was selected as Star Teacher for
Tupelo High School 1999-2000. In
2003 he was recognized with the “Teacher of Distinction Award” for
Tupelo High School presented by the CREATE Foundation.
Mr. Stevens has been listed in The Outstanding Young Men of
America, The World Who’s Who of Musicians and Who’s Who Among America’s
Teachers twice. Mr. Stevens was
inducted into the Northeast Mississippi Band Directors Hall of Fame in
2006. One of the greatest honors
for Mr. Stevens is the knowledge that the majority of his students have
continued their musical experiences in college with many becoming music
performers, teachers and/or band directors on all levels including the
university level.
• Mr. Stevens is
married to Linda Stejskal Stevens, USM 1967 with a Bachelor of Music
Education degree, and they have three children.
Christopher
Stevens
graduated from USM in 1999 with a Bachelor of History degree.
Brian Stevens is a 1998 USM graduate with a Bachelor of Music
degree in Percussion Performance.
Emily Stevens is a 2001 USM graduate with a Bachelor of Music Education
degree with post graduate work at Arkansas State University.
All three of Mr. Stevens’ children are in the field of education
with two of them as Music Educators.
