ABILENE – John Landin, the head band director at Big Spring High School, has been hired as the new Director of Bands at Cooper High School, beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

Landin is a 2009 graduate of McMurry University who has served as the head band director at Jayton (2009-13), Coahoma (2013-19) and Big Spring (2019-present) high schools, while also serving as a consultant for several school districts in both West Texas and the Panhandle.

“I am excited to get started with the Awesome Cooper Band,” Landin said. “My wife and I are graduates from McMurry University and have many friends and family in the area. Our two daughters look forward to spending more time with their grandfather. We look forward to reuniting with the Abilene area and can’t wait to be a part of the wonderful art and music community that Abilene has to offer. It is a great honor to be chosen for this position and I look forward to meeting the community in the near future.”

A member of the Texas Bandmaster Association and the International Trombone Association, Landin has been honored as the Teacher of the Year in both Jayton (2009) and Coahoma (2014). He was named the Scholar Teacher of the Year in Coahoma in 2015.

Over the last two years at Big Spring, he led the Big Spring band to the area marching competition (2020), had multiple all-region band qualifiers at the middle and high school levels, while also tutoring multiple state solo and ensemble qualifiers.

While at Coahoima, he directed a band with multiple Sweepstakes awards and was an area marching contest qualifier in 2013, 2015 and 2017. At Jayton, the band achieved a Division I rating in UIL marching contest in his first year (2009) and was an area contest qualifier that year as well.

“John Landin brings a wealth of knowledge to Cooper High School ,” said AISD Executive Director of Fine Arts Jay Lester. “His past successes at Jayton, Coahoma and Big Spring – including trips to the UIL State Marching Contest – will certainly help him guide the future of the Cooper band.  Everywhere John has taught has experienced significant growth in participation numbers.  We look forward to welcoming him to both Abilene and Cooper High School.”