FHS Crimson Band Directors
Director of Bands
Mr. Ralph Lee Hicks, Jr.
After working as a freelance musician and various jobs, Mr. Hicks
returned to Southeastern Louisiana University in 1998 to earn a degree
in music education that he completed in May of 2002. Since arriving at
Fontainebleau High School in the fall of 2002, Mr. Hicks has enjoyed
seeing the musical growth throughout the band and looks forward to the
continued development in the FHS music program in the years to come.
Before returning to school for his degree in music education, Mr.
Hicks played music professionally around the city of New Orleans and the
Gulf South region. He continues to perform professionally as much as
possible. He has performed with numerous soul, funk, rock and Latin
bands, the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra, the Crescent River Orchestra, the
Jefferson Performing Arts Society Broadway Pit Orchestra, Tulane Summer
Lyric Theater, the Saenger Broadway Orchestra, and he served as
orchestra contractor for the Le Petit Theater Orchestra and the
Rivertown Repertory Orchestra for more than ten years. He has performed
with celebrities Harry Connick, Sr., John “Papa” Gros, Bobby Vinton, Lou
Rawls, Shirley Jones, Regis Philbin, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby
Rydell, Don Rickles, and Barry Manilow. He has also recorded for Six
Flags entertainment, several New Orleans musicians, and with the jazz
vocal group Five by Design on their CD Club Swing.
Mr. Hicks belongs to several music organizations including the
Louisiana Music Educators Association, Louisiana Bandmasters
Association, Music Educators National Conference, and is the
President-Elect of the Louisiana Chapter of the International Association
of Jazz Educators.
Assistant Director of Bands
Ms. Casie Forbes
Ms. Forbes was appointed to the Fontainebleau High School faculty as
Assistant Director of Bands in July of 2006. In December of 2003, she
earned a Masters of Music degree in tuba performance from Louisiana
State University where she studied with Dr. Joseph Skillen. Prior to
this, she was a student of Dr. Kenneth Kroesche at Western Carolina
University, where she received a Bachelor's degree.
In the spring of 2004, Ms. Forbes began her teaching career as the Music
Director at St. John
Catholic
School in Plaquemine , LA.
In fall of 2004, Ms. Forbes was hired as Instructor of Tuba and
Euphonium at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA.
In addition, Ms. Forbes assisted students at local high schools
around Baton Rouge
and taught for the Salvation Army.
As an emerging artist, Ms. Forbes has competed around the country, as
well as in Canada.
In 1998, she was selected to give her first performance in Carnegie Hall
in New York City
with the National Wind Ensemble. She was Runner-up in the Music
Teacher's National Association's National Brass Solo Competition in
1999. In the following year, Ms. Forbes spent her summer
performing with the Walt Disney Collegiate All Star Band in Orlando, Florida
and she won the Jackson County Civic Orchestra's Concerto
Competition and performed as a soloist with that orchestra. In
2003, she was a semifinalist in the Hellam Young Artists' Competition in Springfield, Missouri. Currently, Ms. Forbes performs
with the Southeastern Faculty Brass Quintet and several other ensembles
around the state of Louisiana.