Mr. Ronald Stary, recently retired Brookings High School Band Director, has taught instrumental music for 33 years. An Experienced educator, judge, clinician, and guest conductor in our region whose most recent professional recognitions include the 2023 School Band and Orchestra+ magazine 50 Directors Who Make a Difference, the 2022 Rose Parade “Saluting America’s Band Director’s†Band of Band Directors, 2019 School District B.E.S.T. award, and the 2018 VFW teacher of the year award.
Mr. Stary grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and started teaching in South Dakota on the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Reservation, where he met his wife, Dawn. Their family includes three grown children, Ben, Andy, and Adam James, an amazing granddaughter, and one dog, Sparky.
As a performer, Mr. Stary marched with the 27th Lancers, a historic DCI drum & bugle corps from Revere, Mass. Graduated from the University of Minnesota- Minneapolis, studying conducting under Dr. Richard Hansen and trombone under Mr. Steven Lund. While at the U of M, he had the honor of playing in the top jazz ensemble and touring Scandinavia-Russia with the University Wind Ensemble under the Director of Bands Emeritus, the late Dr. Frank Bencrisutto.
During Stary’s Brookings tenure, the band program developed its competitive marching band program into a perennial Festival of Bands USA finalist, taking the top score and 1st place overall in 2021. BHS jazz ensembles have performed at the 2014 and 2017 SD Bandmasters conference and received 1st place awards in Class AAA at Jazz on the Great Plains Augustana Jazz Festival and the SDSU Optimist Jazz Festival.
Mr. Stary’s “jazz show concept†started over 25 years ago and evolved into a collaborative project within the entire BHS music department. The event hosted guest artists and professional musicians like Adam Meckler, Dr. Nate Jorgenson, Mr. Jimmy Spears, Dr. Grant Manhart, Dr. Fred Hemke, Dr. Chris Kocher, Dr. Rob McCurdy, Mr. Ken Hoyne, Joel Shotwell, Dr. Matt Patenode, Dr. Tim Farrell, Dr. Adam Rosemiller
For detailed bio, 2023 guest conducting, and band clinic work you can reach him at: https://sites.google.com/k12.sd.us/ron-stary-music-educator/home
Mr. Stary grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and started teaching in South Dakota on the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Reservation, where he met his wife, Dawn. Their family includes three grown children, Ben, Andy, and Adam James, an amazing granddaughter, and one dog, Sparky.
As a performer, Mr. Stary marched with the 27th Lancers, a historic DCI drum & bugle corps from Revere, Mass. Graduated from the University of Minnesota- Minneapolis, studying conducting under Dr. Richard Hansen and trombone under Mr. Steven Lund. While at the U of M, he had the honor of playing in the top jazz ensemble and touring Scandinavia-Russia with the University Wind Ensemble under the Director of Bands Emeritus, the late Dr. Frank Bencrisutto.
During Stary’s Brookings tenure, the band program developed its competitive marching band program into a perennial Festival of Bands USA finalist, taking the top score and 1st place overall in 2021. BHS jazz ensembles have performed at the 2014 and 2017 SD Bandmasters conference and received 1st place awards in Class AAA at Jazz on the Great Plains Augustana Jazz Festival and the SDSU Optimist Jazz Festival.
Mr. Stary’s “jazz show concept†started over 25 years ago and evolved into a collaborative project within the entire BHS music department. The event hosted guest artists and professional musicians like Adam Meckler, Dr. Nate Jorgenson, Mr. Jimmy Spears, Dr. Grant Manhart, Dr. Fred Hemke, Dr. Chris Kocher, Dr. Rob McCurdy, Mr. Ken Hoyne, Joel Shotwell, Dr. Matt Patenode, Dr. Tim Farrell, Dr. Adam Rosemiller
For detailed bio, 2023 guest conducting, and band clinic work you can reach him at: https://sites.google.com/k12.sd.us/ron-stary-music-educator/home