Alphonse Mendez

Class of 2025

Digital Scrapbook Alphonse J. Mendez is a retired Director of Fine Arts for the El Paso Independent School District. He was born in Big Spring, Texas, on July 4th, 1949. He attended Boydstun Elementary, Runnels Jr. High, and Big Spring High School.

His love of music began with private saxophone lessons from a piano teacher for fifty cents a lesson. Instead of fundamentals and scales, he was taught 50’s era tunes like Sheik of Araby and Mr. Sandman. Al became very good at the saxophone so the teacher suggested to his parents he take piano lessons. That raised his fees to one dollar a week. Piano lessons were going fine until the fourth lesson when he was introduced to the bass clef. He finally had to confess that they could not afford a piano and the only practice time he had was at his lessons. Needless to say, his piano career abruptly ended.

When he was in the fifth grade his teacher sent him home with a note for his parents. Al was to be double promoted. He completed fifth grade the first semester then the sixth grade the second semester. He went on to Runnels Junior High in the seventh grade as an 11 year old. Al loved band and was fortunate to have a wonderful band director, Mr. Douglas Wiehe, who taught him the fundamentals he needed to be successful. He graduated from high school at the young age of 16. Following high school he enrolled at Texas Western College, now known as UTEP.

Mr. Mendez received his Bachelor of Music degree and Administrative Certificate from the University of Texas at El Paso and his master’s degree from Long Island University. He was also a member of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. During his time at West Point, he studied saxophone with Joe Allard at the Juilliard School.

He began his teaching career in EPISD at Wainwright and Crosby elementary schools. In 1975 he was assigned as assistant band director at Irvin High School and director at Canyon Hills Middle School. In 1977 he took over as band director at Andress High School. While at Andress, his jazz bands were selected twice to perform at the National Association of Jazz Educators convention. His concert bands won several festivals which included the Greater Southwest Music Festival in Amarillo, Texas, and the Mountain State Music Festival in Tempe, Arizona. Back in those days, directors did not have the luxury of multiple assistants. He was the drum tech, flag tech, visual tech, drill designer, music arranger, and motivational speaker for the fall marching season. He had one assistant for one hour a day for 250 plus band students.

In 1985 he became Consultant for Instrumental Music and later became Director of Fine Arts for El Paso ISD. He also taught saxophone as an adjunct teacher at NMSU and UTEP.

During his tenure as Director of Fine Arts for EPISD, ensembles performed at TMEA, the Midwest Clinic, Texas Association of School Administrators Conference, and at El Colegio Americano de Torreón, Mexico. He was the first recipient of the Lifetime Administrator Achievement award presented by the Texas Bandmasters Association in 2001. In 2008 Al received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas at El Paso Department of Music. In 2023 he received the great honor of being selected Texas Bandmaster of the year by the Texas Bandmasters Association. Furthermore, through his efforts, members of his music faculty were able to tour extensively throughout Germany and Turkey as members of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra.

After retiring from the El Paso Independent School District, he went on to teach general music at Sunland Park Elementary School in the Gadsden ISD of New Mexico. Al loved working with the young students teaching them to love music.

Mr. Mendez holds memberships with the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu.

He is an active performer, adjudicator, clinician, and conductor throughout the United States. Mr. Mendez has been music director for the Alamo Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Gator Bowl, Nokia Sugar Bowl, San Francisco Bowl, and for the City of Philadelphia’s “Millennium Celebration”.

He has performed with many artists, which include the Temptations, Four Tops, Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Tanya Tucker, Dionne Warwick, B. J. Thomas, Peabo Bryson, Clark Terry, Sean Jones, Bill Watrous, Gladys Knight, Mary Wilson, Selena, as well as recorded for Juan Gabriel. He also performs with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra.

He developed his high standards for teaching through friendships with fellow directors Kenny Capshaw, Jimmy Olivas, Rick Lambrecht, and Bern Glover. Every Saturday they would all meet at May and Duncan Music Store to discuss their band activities and plans for the upcoming week. Since Al was the least experienced, he stayed quiet and absorbed everything they had to say, even when it hurt. They are all good friends to this day.

Currently, Al and his wife, Mary, teach weekly master classes at five middle schools and four high schools throughout the El Paso area. He is also very busy all year long as a clinician for marching, jazz, and concert bands. In their free time they enjoy golf, scuba diving, and traveling.

He loves to hear from former students years later thanking him for giving them the love of music and, equally importantly, life skills.

To quote G. Hinkley, “Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.”

Al would like to thank the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Phi Beta Mu Alpha Chapter Hall Of Fame Committee and Barbara Lambrecht for this incredible honor.

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