• Chair, Director of Band Activities, Composition

Chair, Director of Band Activities, Composition

Charles L. Booker, Jr., conductor and composer, and former U.S. Army Bandmaster, was appointed Director of Band Activities at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith in 1999, and served as Lead Faculty and Chair of the Music Department from 2002 to 2006. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of the State of New York, his master's degree in music from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his Texas teacher certification in secondary music after completing courses at Texas State University. His compositions are published by Alfred, Kendor, Bravo Music and Southern Music Company and have been performed by major professional bands such as the Army Band "Pershing's Own", the Army Field Band, the U.S. Military Academy Band "West Point", the Coast Guard Band, the Air Force Band of Mid-America, and the Air Force Academy Band. Mr. Booker is a product of the Texas Band program having studied in high school under Alfred Sturchio and Dan Schreiber. He studied composition with Hank Levy, Dr. Steve Strunk and Dr. James Balentine and conducting with Dr. Robert Garofalo and Dr. Robert Rustowicz. Mr. Booker continued his conducting studies at the Conductors Collegiums 2001 and 2002 at the University of North Texas, studying with Dennis Fisher and Eugene Corporon. Mr. Booker’s career in the U.S. Army included service as an arranger for the Army Field Band, performer and conductor of Army Bands in Louisiana, Germany, New York City, and director of the Jazz Ambassadors in Washington, D.C. As a trumpeter with the Fifth Army Band, Mr. Booker performed for the funerals of Presidents Truman and Johnson. As a member of the Army Field Band, Mr. Booker performed in the inauguration parades of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He was Interim Director of Bands at Trinity University from 1996 to 1997 and assistant editor at Southern Music Company from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Booker is a past president of the Arkansas Chapter of College Band Directors National Association, past president of the Arkansas Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators, a member of the National Band Association, Texas Bandmaster Association and was recently appointed to the executive board of the Arkansas Bandmaster Association. Mr. Booker is also a member of the Arkansas Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, band fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi, and honorary fraternity Pi Kappa Lambda.