CSHS Band & Guard Directors
Jon Seale, Head Band Director
Jon Seale serves as head band director of the Cougar Band & Guard at College Station High School. Before becoming head director, Mr. Seale served six years as the assistant director of bands, percussion director, and jazz band director at College Station High School. Prior to his role at CSHS, Mr. Seale was the assistant band director for six years at A&M Consolidated Middle School, and the beginner band director for two years at Cypress Grove Intermediate School.
Mr. Seale received a Bachelors of Music in Education in 2003 from West Texas A&M University, and his Master of Arts in Music in 2005 also from WTAMU. He studied percussion under Dr. Susan Tariq, and he studied conducting under Dr. Gary Garner and Mr. Donald Lefevre. As a student, Mr. Seale performed with the WTAMU drumline, percussion ensembles, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and orchestra. He also performed with the Amarillo Symphony and Opera.
During his graduate studies, Mr. Seale assisted with percussion ensembles, conducted the Jazz Band II, and was Instructor/Arranger for the WT Drumline. He also taught privately for grades 6 through 12 in the Canyon and Amarillo school districts.
Mr. Seale is an active clinician, adjudicator, composer, arranger and performer in Texas. His professional affiliations include Percussive Arts Society (PAS), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), Texas Bandmaster’s Association (TBA), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. He is an Educator Endorser for Innovative Percussion Products and regularly composes and arranges Percussion Music for various marching bands through Eric Rath Music.
Mr. Seale and his wonderful wife Kristen (a band director at Wellborn Middle School) have been happily married since 2004. They welcomed their son Peter in May 2009 and their daughter Faith in May 2012.
You may email Mr. Seale at jseale@csisd.org.
Michael Dixon, Assistant Director of Bands
Michael Dixon is currently in his fourth year as the assistant director of bands at College Station High School. During his time at CSHS his band have received sweepstakes each year and in 2021 an appearance at the UIL State Marching Band Competition.
Prior to coming to CSHS, Mr. Dixon opened the band programs at both Wellborn Middle School and Pecan Trail Intermediate. He has been with CSISD for eighteen years, including thirteen at A&M Consolidated Middle School, two years at College Station Middle School, and two years at Pecan Trail and Wellborn Middle School.
Under the direction of Mr. Dixon, the Wellborn WarHawk Band received first division awards and a best in class designation in its inaugural year. His bands have been consistently awarded a sweepstakes for the last fifteen years. In addition to teaching in the College Station Independent School District, Mr. Dixon has taught for Blinn College as the applied horn instructor.
Michael received his Bachelors of Music in Education (BM Ed.) in 2002 from West Texas A&M University and his Masters in Music (M.M) in 2012 from Stephen F. Austin State University. He had the opportunity in college to study horn under Ron Lemon, and he studied conducting with Dr. Gary Garner and Fred Allen.
Along with teaching he performs with the Bryan Theatre Company and regularly gigs around town during the holiday seasons. Before coming to the Brazos Valley he was assistant horn with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra for two years.
Professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), the Texas Bandmaster’s Association (TBA) and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA)
In his free time, Michael is active member at Living Hope Baptist Church, and traveling during the summers.
You may email Mr. Dixon at mdixon@csisd.org.
Joseph Cohn, Assistant Director of Bands
My name is Joseph Cohn and I am so excited to join the amazing team at College Station High School! Below is a quick bio about me and my experience. I cannot wait to meet everyone and get started!
Joseph Cohn comes to us from the Dallas area where has been teaching band and percussion since 2020. He has held the position of Assistant Band Director and Director of Percussion Studies for Pilot Point High School and Garland High School. During his time in Dallas, he has had students advance to the UIL State Marching Contest, UIL State Solo & Ensemble Contest, and the ATSSB All-State Band as well as numerous students competing at the region level. Mr. Cohn’s students have also composed their own works under his direction as well as performed world premieres of music by Randall Standridge and Justin Cooperman.
Mr. Cohn graduated from Sam Houston State University in the Spring of 2020 with a bachelors degree in Music Education. During his time there he studied Percussion with Dr. John Lane and Conducting from Dr. Brian Gibbs. He can also be heard on World Premiere recordings of pieces composed by Kyle Kindred, Gabriella Frank, and Monica Pearce, as well as his own compositions and collaborations. He completed his final semester at Sam Houston by student teaching at Keller High School and Indian Springs Middle School in Keller ISD under the instruction of Mark McGahey, David Puckett, and Frank Troyka.
As a member of a military family, Mr. Cohn lived in many different places before his family settled in College Station, Texas, where he was also an active member and leader of the College Station High School Band program. Once graduated from high school and pursuing his Music Education degree, Mr. Cohn was heavily involved in teaching Percussion at College Station High School, College Station Middle School, and Wellborn Middle School as a Percussion Technician and Private Lesson instructor. In his 4 years teaching in College Station, Mr. Cohn’s students received caption awards, advanced through the TMEA All-Region process, and received outstanding ratings at the UIL State Solo and Ensemble Contest. He also held the position of Front Ensemble Coordinator for the inaugural season in 2019 for Brazos Valley Independent Indoor Percussion. Mr. Cohn is currently a member of Texas Music Educators Association and the Percussive Arts Society.
When he is not teaching, Mr. Cohn enjoys spending quality time with his amazing wife, Taylor Michelle, as well as the rest of his extended family in Madisonville, Texas and Dallas, Texas. Mr. Cohn is also an avid soccer fan, always cheering on the United States National Soccer teams.
Lora Nolen, Color Guard Director
Lora Nolen joined the CSHS Band & Guard staff as Guard Director in the Fall of 2021. Since that time, she has directed guards that have been to the State Marching Band Competition 2 times and the Texas Color Guard Circuit Championships 1 time. Prior to becoming the Guard Director, Mrs. Nolen served the Cougar Band & Guard in roles as President of the Boosters for one year, Event Coordinator for the Boosters for 4 years, and a Band and Guard Mom covering pretty much all duties for 6 years.
Mrs. Nolen has been a Special Education Teacher for 27 years teaching kids from the age of 3 up to 12th grade in Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities, Reading and Math Resource Classes, LIFE Skills classes, and the Dyslexia Program. She is currently the 7th and 8th Grade Co-Teach English Teacher at College Station Middle School during the day, then she comes over to College Station High School to work with the guard during 7th Period and during outside of school hours practices.
When she is not teaching or hanging out with the band and guard, Mrs. Nolen enjoys spending time with her husband, Greg, and her two grown children, Grace who is a former CSHS Color Guard Captain, and Joshua, who is a former CSHS Cougar Band baritone/euphonium player. Mrs. Nolen also enjoys playing card and board games, reading, visiting with friends, and going to the beach every now and then.
Fun Fact: Unlike the other directors, Mrs. Nolen does not drink coffee.
You may email Mrs. Nolen at lnolen@csisd.org.