Bruce Collins

Class of 2025

Digital Scrapbook Bruce Dwain Collins was born October 17, 1955, in Lubbock, Texas, to Dwain and Pauline Collins. A love of music and respect for teachers was nurtured by his parents, so becoming a music educator was almost inevitable. Hearing the piano and organ solos in church, along with an occasional number featuring a solo violin or trumpet tweaked his interest in learning to play an instrument, but even more compelling was watching and admiring the men who led the music worship. Upon hearing a good friend play his cornet at church, Bruce asked him about joining the band and more importantly how to become “the leader”, (a.k.a. drum major). His advice was “learn to play all the instruments,” Registration and instrument placement had Bruce placed on clarinet (not his first choice!). The beginning class at Atkins Junior High had over a hundred students on every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument from day one, all taught by Mr. Orland Butler. Learning was difficult, and Bruce did not really put in a lot of effort outside of class. Needless to say, his progress was minimal.

Things would change dramatically when Bruce’s family moved to Clovis, New Mexico, later that year. Bruce had always made high grades, and the academic rigor of his new school was comparable to Lubbock, if not a little easier. Band however, was a different story altogether. Led by Mr. Dick Echols, the Gattis Junior High Band was one of the finest anywhere around. Band started in sixth grade in Clovis, so being a year behind resulted in placement in the less advanced cadet band. Students played out of the Rubank Intermediate Book with individual pass-offs being heard each day. His progress came to a screeching halt when he encountered the two-octave C major arpeggio. No amount of instruction could yield the high octave C, and he remained on that line, ironically earning a “C” in band for that six weeks. As the school year ended, Mr. Echols presented him with an ultimatum for being in the advanced band. Switch to the bass clarinet and attend summer band classes. The summer band classes were led by Mr. Echols and a first year teacher, Van B. Ragsdale (HOF, Class of 2012).

Varsity Band in the Clovis Junior High included field and parade marching in competitions and performing at football games. Marching did not come easily for Bruce and after struggling with the step off in a step-two drill, a re-assignment as an alternate was made. Head down and feeling very dejected walking back to the band hall, he made his first encounter with the legendary New Mexico music educator, Norvil Howell. Mr. Howell asked, “What’s your name, young man?” After replying “Bruce Collins,” the next words from him were, “You just hang in there, you’re going to do fine, and I’m going to keep an eye on you.” What an understatement. An injury to another student and mastering the step-off sequence did eventually allow a return to the field show. Another defining moment would happen that eighth grade year as the band worked to prepare “Symphonic Rhapsody” by Carl Friedemann. Bruce learned the term “band clinic”, what it meant to address a band director as “Doctor” and had his first encounter with the G.O.A.T., lifelong teacher and mentor, Dr. Gary Garner (HOF, class of 2003). To avoid being “cut-out” of the harder parts, Bruce began staying after school every day to practice his contra-bass clarinet and to do any band chores that needed to be done. Because Mr. Echols lived around the corner from his house, he would often give him a ride home. The hook was definitely being set for a future as a band director.

Fast forward to Clovis High School and Mr. Howell’s choice to make him one of his two drum majors. The long-awaited chance to be “the leader” had arrived. One condition was attendance at summer band camp, where he had his first lessons in conducting and using the drum major’s mace from Mr. Bill Woods (HOF, Class of 1997). Even bigger opportunities were presented the following summers as he performed at the WTSU Band Camp in bands directed by Dr. Harry Begian and Dr. Gary Garner, had drum major/conducting lessons from Dr. Terry Milligan and low clarinet instruction from Don Hanna (HOF, Class of 2007). A clinic/concert experience in 1974 with the incomparable Dr. William Revelli provided everyone in the Clovis band a new definition of “intensity”. Fortunately, Dr. Garner’s clinic later that year left everyone feeling better about their life choices, including Bruce’s decision to attend West Texas State University.

Three years of experience as a high school drum major, playing saxophone in the jazz band, and being a first chair New Mexico All-State band member on contra bass clarinet did little to prepare Bruce for the challenges of being a college music major and returning to his old nemesis, “the Bb clarinet” (still not his first choice!). An embarrassing “chirp” from the Bb contrabass on the Persichetti “Parable” in the band’s CBDNA performance, dismal jury performances, and struggles in applied lessons and music theory had him questioning his decision to major in music. Dr. Garner never stopped supporting and encouraging him. Because Bruce could double on saxophone and clarinet/bass clarinet, Royal Brantley, director of Opera Workshop/Musical Theater offered him several performance opportunities in the pit orchestras and a unique learning opportunity as a cast member of the “Texas” musical drama.

Bruce’s senior year at WT was highlighted by student teaching in Hereford with Randy Vaughn (HOF, Class of 2011). Randy and the staff in Hereford worked with genuine comradery and made a lasting impression for how a band staff should function.

Bruce’s first teaching position would be at Midland’s Robert E. Lee HS as the assistant for Van Ragsdale. After leaving Clovis, Van’s success in concert and marching band both at the junior high and high school level was unmatched and the Lee band had just been named as the 4A (largest classification in 1978) TMEA Honor Band. It was an incredible year, as Van gave Bruce the responsibility of drill design for the marching band. Van was unquestionably the frontrunner in the Permian Basin’s transition to “corps-style” marching and Bruce’s work at WT the previous fall as a drum major in Gary Garner’s transition to this new style of show design proved very beneficial. With marching season out of the way, preparation for a performance at the 1979 TMEA Convention began in earnest. Van graciously asked Bruce to conduct a piece on the Honor Band concert. What a thrill to be back stage with Band Chairman and future TMEA Executive Director, Robert Floyd (HOF, Class of 2011) and then be introduced to conduct the band on Alfred Reed’s “Armenian Dances”. The following year, Bruce began a five-year tenure at Alamo Junior High, a feeder school for Lee and returned to Lee in 1984 as assistant to another Permian Basin icon, Randy Storie (HOF, Class of 2017). Bruce and Randy worked hard together with the Lee band’s attendance at the Inauguration of Ronald Reagan being a highlight of that year. With guidance from Dr. Harry Haines and Dr. Gary Garner, Bruce completed a Master of Arts degree from WTSU in 1984. An arrangement of Francoise Borne’s “Carmen Fantasy” for band and solo flute would be his thesis project and would later be performed at TMEA by the WT Symphonic Band.

In 1985, Bruce made the decision to seek a position as a head director and accepted a position at Gruver High School. The people of Gruver were friendly and eager for success. By November, the Gruver High School band was marching in Austin, finishing sixth at the UIL State Marching Contest. The following summer, while teaching at the WT band camp, Bruce received an unexpected visit from Charles Johnson and Don Lefevre to discuss his moving to Pampa to be the head director at Pampa Middle School. Bruce was not particularly eager to leave Gruver High School and return to a middle school teaching assignment, not to mention the difficulty of following the incomparable Joe DiCosimo (HOF, Class of 1991).
Following a legend like Joe could have been difficult, but because of his constant support and encouragement, it was the job of a lifetime. He, along with Sam Watson (HOF, Class of 1991), would meet with Bruce over coffee to recount the history of the bands in the panhandle and the achievements of the Pampa High School band program under the leadership of Hall of Fame directors Ray Robbins (Class of 1991), Bill Tregoe (Class of 1998), Fred Stockdale (Class of 2001), Harris Brinson (Class of 2004) and Jeff Doughten (Class of 2014).

Working alongside Brent Colwell and Charles Johnson, the Pampa Middle School band continued Joe’s tradition of first division ratings in UIL marching, concert and sight reading. Memorable performances of challenging literature like “Variations on a Korean Folk Song”, “Chorale and Shaker Dance”, and “An Italian in Algiers” resulted in Outstanding Band awards at the Greater Southwest Music Festival and a second and fifth place finish in TMEA Honor Band competitions.
None of the Pampa Middle School highlights would compare to meeting Julie Smith at the end of that first year in Pampa. Julie was a Pampa High School alumnus, former student of Joe and Charles and was very interested in how the Pampa Middle School band would fare with its first new director in thirty-one years. Following a student teaching assignment with Charles, Brent, and Bruce and a year teaching with Roger Edwards in Borger, she returned to Pampa as head of the elementary school beginning band program, along with teaching high school color guard and assisting at the middle school. She and Bruce were married in June of 1989 and together forged a lifelong partnership that would see them both achieve remarkable things together as directors in Pampa and later at Amarillo High School. Sons Alex (wife Ashley, daughter/grand-daughter Indie) and Matthew, all superior musicians and academic honors students at Amarillo High/West Texas A&M (Alex/Ashley) and Amarillo High/University of North Texas (Matthew) would become part of their Pampa/Amarillo “achievements” and provide such joy as they all became part of the band families that their parents led.

Jim Duggan and Charles Johnson continued Pampa High School’s incredible streak of excellence, and upon Charles’ decision to enter private business, Bruce was named Director of Bands in 1993. Carrying on the legacy of so many outstanding directors would be his responsibility. The expectation for first division performances at UIL contests, advancement in the TMEA Honor Band process, and taking memorable trips would continue. The tradition of calling the band the “Pride of Pampa” was inspired by a sign that hung at the train station upon their return from a milestone performance at the 1960 Midwest convention in Chicago. In 2000 Bruce and Julie, along with Jason Jones, organized a “40th reunion” to commemorate this milestone achievement. In attendance were forty years of alumni who performed at the Friday night halftime and invited speakers which included all of the living directors who had led the Pampa HS band from 1960 to 2000. They, along with Bruce, Julie and Jason, had all embraced the challenge of assuring that the band would always be “The Pride of Pampa”. While in Pampa, Bruce became a leader in the TMEA band division. He was region band organizer positions and later Region 1 TMEA Band Division chairman provided opportunities to work alongside outstanding directors from across the state.

In 2005, Amarillo ISD Director of Fine Arts, Cody Myers (HOF, Class of 2022), called to ask that he follow Roger Edwards (HOF, Class of 2021) as Director of Bands at Amarillo High School. Leaving Pampa to follow yet another panhandle legend and lead another tradition-laden, highly successful program was not an easy decision. It was only made after a guarantee that Bruce and Julie would work together at the high school. Roger Edwards would return as orchestra director, and in 2006 an outstanding young director, Justin Nuckles would join the team. They, along with Cody, became his most trusted friends and advisors. Bruce’s 2018 and final UIL preparation to perform “Rocky Point Holiday” and “La Fiesta Mexicana” would fittingly include band clinics led by Van Ragsdale and Dr. Gary Garner.

Bruce and Julie completed thirteen years at Amarillo High School, retiring in 2018 after forty and thirty year careers as music educators. Bruce has continued work as a performance consultant in marching and concert band, and in 2022 accepted an adjunct position as director of the Amarillo College Community Concert Band.
Bruce is humbled and honored to be included among mentors, colleagues, and friends in the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame. Thanks to Cody Myers, Van Ragsdale and Randy Vaughn for their sponsorship and lifelong friendship.

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