Meet Your Directors!

Mr. Kinney is in his 35th year teaching school band and in his 15th year at OAKLAND MIDDLE.  He started his career teaching high school band and has stayed active with the area high school bands, especially the Oakland High School Band.

Besides teaching, Mr. Kinney is an active performer.  He has toured all over in a variety of different groups playing music of many different styles.  You can see him playing weekly at Northside Baptist Church with the worship orchestra which he founded in 1999.  Mr. Kinney has been married to his wife Ann Kinney since 1993.  The two of them met at MTSU in the music department.  Ann is a talented musician, a great wife and mother.  They have two amazing children.  Robin is 27 and plays the French Horn, sings, and loves to create all kinds of art.  Melody is 23 and teaches choir at Oakland High.  She is a flute player and singer as well.

 

Favorite style of music - Jazz

Favorite food - Strawberries

Favorite book - Paul's letter to the Philippians

Favorite quote - "It's impossible to complain about ANYTHING when one chooses to be grateful for EVERYTHING." 

Favorite sport - Disc Golf!!

 

Hobbies include - Disc golf, camping, hiking, playing different instruments, reading, being a source of encouragement

 

Member of - Northside Baptist Church since 1999

                    Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association since 1991

                    Tennessee Bandmasters Association since 1991

                    The Tennessee Valley Winds since 1987

                     Skyline Drive Band since 1996

                    The Number One Party Band since 2015

                     MTSU's Band of Blue Club Hall of Fame since 2014

                    The Pat Patrick Legacy Band since 2018

                     Cancer Survivor since 2012

                     Professional Disc Golf Association since 1995

 

Mr. Hearnes is in his 24th year teaching school band and in his 15th year at Oakland Middle.  His entire teaching career has been in Rutherford County.  After one year teaching general music, he helped open Blackman Middle School where he spent the next 15 years building that program.  During that time, OMS was built and Mr. Hearnes was split between both OMS and BMS.  In 2017 he was moved back to full time and chose Oakland to be his home.  Mr. Hearnes is also a nationally-known composer, having over 100 compositions and arrangements for Row-Loff Productions.  He has given clinics to other band directors at state conventions in TN, MO, KY, and GA, including national conferences for NAfME, ASBDA, and the prestigious Midwest Clinic in December of 2019.

 

Mr. Hearnes is active in the Northside Baptist Church orchestra, covering drum set and the occasional wind instrument.  He lives in Murfreesboro with his wife and two sons.

 

Mr. Hearnes roots for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Nashville Predators.  He has visited all 50 states and is checking off units in the National Park System in each state.  He and his wife also enjoy visiting and photographing lighthouses.  Traveling has also taken him to Canada, Mexico, England, France, and Cuba where he spent a week studying percussion with local musicians.  

 

Member of - Northside Baptist Church since 2013

                    Percussive Arts Society since 1996

                    Middle Tennessee School Band & Orchestra Association since 2002

                    Tennessee Bandmasters Association

                    American School Band Directors Association

                    MTSU Band of Blue Alumni Club since 2019