The high school’s new band director, Paul Heuer, was announced at the Lovejoy ISD School Board meeting on Wednesday and was approved for employment starting with the 2015-16 school year.

“After Mr. Janke resigned, we posted the position and we screened through a lot of interested applicants,” Principal Chris Mayfield said. “Then narrowed that down through our normal hiring process and had an opportunity at the end to interview a few strong candidates and Mr. Heuer was one of them. He showed through that process that he was the best candidate and that he has the skills and tools to come in and do a great job here at Lovejoy.”

Heuer is currently the band director at Timberview High School in Mansfield ISD, but has also directed bands in Wylie ISD and Birdville ISD. Heuer has also taught privately in the Houston area as well as serving as adjunct professor of trumpet and horn at Tarleton State University. Attempts to reach the new director have not been successful thus far.

Heuer has an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a Masters degree in Trumpet Performance from Southern Methodist University.

The selection process for a new band director extended far beyond the expected questions.

“There are  lots of different things we look for, not just on the music side,” Mayfield said. “There is quality of music piece but also there’s parts around relationships with kids, there’s parts around growing the program, there are parts around [how the kids] want to grow professionally.”

With the announcement of a new director, band members are torn about what’s happening.

“Mr. Jahnke will be dearly missed,” Drum Major Braden Smotherman said. “But I am excited to see what a new set of eyes and thoughts can add to the Lovejoy band program.”

Heuer not only has experience in teaching, but experience on the professional performing level including appearing in concert with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México in Toluca, Mexico, and performing solo trumpet on the Grammy nominated “Planets” compact disc recording of the Moores School Wind Ensemble under conductor Eddie Green.

“There was a lot of different components that we really looked at to help us make a determination about Mr. Heuer,” Mayfield said. “At the end of that process, we feel really good about him coming in and we are very excited about him next year taking over as the new band director.”