Travis J. Weller – Biography
Travis J. Weller has been the Director of Bands at Mercer Area Middle-Senior High School since August of 1995. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Tuba and Conducting from Grove City College, and graduated from Duquense University in May of 2007 with a Master’s Degree in Music Education. Travis is currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program at Kent State University in addition to his teaching duties at Mercer. He has taken additional studies at Youngstown State University, and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. At Mercer, he is the Director of the Middle School Concert Band, Senior High Concert Band, and Senior High Wind Ensemble. He shares teaching duties for the 8th Grade General Music classes. In addition to the concert bands, he instructs the extra-curricular marching band, pep band, and jazz ensemble. He is also the Faculty Advisor for the Technical Productions Crew and is the Stage Manager for the Middle-Senior High School. He has previously been director of the all school musical (1995-2001), and co-director for commencement exercises at Mercer.
Travis has been a twelve time Honored Teacher at the Principal’s Top Ten Student Dinner, and was selected to give the commencement address to the 2000 and 2006 Senior Class at Mercer. He has previously served as Mercer County District 5 PMEA Representative and as President for PMEA District 5. He has been a guest speaker in music education at Grove City College, Westminster College, and Duquense University for Methods Classes and PCMEA workshops. In 2009, he presented with Dr. Joseph M. Pisano at the PMEA State Conference, and has presented at the 2009 PMEA District 5 Fall In-Service Session. In addition to annual marching band and jazz band festivals, Travis has hosted 2 All-County Middle School events, 2 All-County High School events, and was a two time host for the 2003 and 2008 District 5 Band Festival. He is past member of the Musician’s Concert Band at Slippery Rock University, and was the Assistant Director for the Mercer Summer Community Band (1995-97). In January of 2009, he was the guest conductor for the Pittsburgh Diocesean Honor Band held at Bishop Canevin High School. In March of 2010 he will be the featured composer at the East Stroudsburg North Instrumental Music Department Concert, and will conduct the PMEA District 2 Junior High Band in May of 2010.
He holds professional membership in PMEA, Phi Beta Mu (Nu Chapter), and the NBA. Travis is also a free lance arranger and composer of music for school bands. He began arranging and composing during his undergraduate work for the Gallery Brass Quintet. He has continued his work in this area, recently studying with Quincy Hilliard at the University of the Arts in the summer of 2006. His arrangements for marching bands have been performed by Hickory High School (Hermitage, Pa.) and Grove City College. He has written over 30 pieces for concert bands ranging from elementary to college, receiving numerous performances. Notable performances have been given by the Grove City College Symphonic Concert Band (PMEA State Conference 2007), the Westminster College Wind Ensemble, the Marks Concert Band in Hermitage, the Carnegie Mellon Pre-college Summer Wind Ensemble, the Florida State University Summer Wind Ensemble, and the Vandercook College Symphonic Band (Midwest, 2009). His first published work “American Visions” is available from the FJH Music Company (a 2008 J.W. Pepper’s Editor’s Choice). The Pittsburgh based River City Youth Brass Band debuted “A Frontier Fought and a City Found” in May of 2009. He received an Editor’s Choice from J.W.Pepper for “Pirates!” (available summer 2009), and his composition “Journey to the Prairie” was awarded third prize in the 2nd Annual Frank Ticheli Composition Contest and will be available in December of 2010. In the summer of 2010, the FJH Music Company will publish a wind ensemble version of “A Frontier Fought and A City Found” and “Tales of A Medevial Warrior”, and AMW Publishing will release “Marshalls of the Open Range”.
