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John David (aka JD) Janda retired in July 2023 after a 42-year career as a Texas Fine Arts Educator. The blessings of all those years are too numerous to articulate in great detail, but what follows are some of the highlights of a life and career blessed by God at every turn.

JD was born in Bellville, Texas, in 1958. He was child number five of six born to Vit and Gertie Janda. His five siblings, Mark, Patti, Ken, Susie, and Angela were all in the band and were all quite talented musicians - each in their own way. JD’s father directed the little choir at the Catholic Church in Bellville and each child was expected to play the piano or organ or sing in that little choir. In addition to those musical obligations at church, there were always more than enough chores to do on the Janda Family Farm. The disciplined work ethic instilled by his dad helped JD throughout his career and still inspires all the Jandas to toil diligently until the job is completely finished - and finished at the highest level.

Although JD really wanted to play the french horn when he started in the band in fifth grade, he was assigned to play the trombone. And of course, it took no time at all for him to fall in love with the trombone, learning so much from his directors, Doyle McElroy and Robert McElroy. At small high schools like the one in Bellville in the early and mid-1970s, every student had to be an active participant in many different school activities. JD played all the sports, he was best at golf and of course played trombone in the band, sang in the choir, loved his art classes, and excelled at UIL Persuasive Speaking. He loved being in the spotlight and acted in every play!

After high school, Janda made a brief stop at Blinn College in Brenham studying with Larry Campbell before finding a home with George Nelson at Southwestern University in Georgetown. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education, JD landed his first teaching job at age 22, as the only band director in Columbus, Texas and teaching band to students in grades 5 through 12. In 1982 he began spending summers in Canyon at West Texas State University where Gary Garner truly opened his eyes to band directing! That relationship with WT lasted well over 25 years and Dr. Garner is largely responsible for why JD’s bands always played so well. Those three years in Columbus connected JD with James Marioneaux, who quickly became an influential mentor and often kept JD on track during those tough learning years. In 1984 JD moved to Boling, Texas, where the band was bad, but the pay was great! In Boling, besides directing the band, he drove a bus route, taught general music, and directed the One-Act Play. Through a crazy series of events and a blind date set up by their mothers, JD met his future wife, Nancy Hobbs, who helped him direct the Boling HS One-Act Play. JD and Nancy married in 1987 and moved to Katy. There, they spent the next 22 years. Janda’s first three years in KISD were at Katy Junior High and the last nineteen of those great years were spent at James E. Taylor High School as Director of Bands, Associate Orchestra Director and Fine Arts Department Chair. JD was blessed to have wonderful associate directors who always supported the special “Janda Vision”. Much of the credit for his directing success goes to Bridget Bailey Walker, Erica Shaar, Bobby McCoy, Garrett Decker, Joseph Cataneo, Clark Gardner, Melissa Batchelor, Carmen DiAgostino Smith, Angie Munoz Blackiston, Marcel Hobizal, David Reynolds, Timothy Grange, Christopher Bailey and Michael Howard. Randy Vaughn was a very special clinician who came to Taylor High School for many years and became a beloved friend, colleague and mentor. JD was recognized for his outstanding contributions to students' lives in 2001 when he was named recipient of the “Southwestern Bell - UIL Sponsor Excellence Award” for the State of Texas. His bands and orchestras earned many consecutive years of UIL Sweepstakes Awards and won dozens of “Best in Class” awards. Bands under his direction earned multiple performances at the UIL State Marching Band Contest and placed high in the TMEA Honor Band process. JD is especially indebted to Fred Fassino and Bob Bryant for taking a chance on a small-town farm boy as a young teacher in a crazy fast-growing district like Katy ISD. JD served as Region 23 Band Chair beginning in 1998, working also as the Area and State Band Tryout Chairman. In 2006, he was honored to be elected TMEA State Band Chair - definitely the most challenging position of his career! Following those two years as Band Chair, Janda was again humbled to be elected TMEA President.

During those five years on the TMEA state board - and due to the gentle nudging of Bob Floyd and Bob Bryant – he completed a Masters Degree in Educational Management at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He moved out of the “fire” of the band hall and into the “frying pan” of district level fine arts administration. In 2009, the Jandas moved to Georgetown where JD served six years as the Director of Curriculum and Fine Arts in Georgetown ISD. He served on the small select committee to rewrite the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Fine Arts. Janda also served multiple three-year terms as a member of the UIL State Music Technical Advisory Committee. Working with the Georgetown Symphony Society, he founded the Vivace Youth Orchestra and served as conductor of VYO’s advanced high school ensemble. The Georgetown years were blessed again by connecting with incredible mentors - particularly Jim Van Zandt, Peter Warshaw and Carol Watson.

In 2015, JD moved to Tomball, accepting the position as the Director of Fine Arts, which he held for eight years. In Tomball, he supervised the dance, theater, visual arts and music departments, K-12 of this fast-growing school district. Janda was selected as President of the Texas Music Administrators Conference (TMAC) now known as the Texas Fine Arts Administrators (TFAA) and served four years on the TMAC executive board. In 2020, Janda began five years as a field supervisor for music student teachers at Stephen F. Austin State University. And in 2024, in that role, he was selected as the Field Supervisor of the year for SFA’s James I. Perkins School of Education. In February of 2023, he was recognized as Texas’ Outstanding Fine Arts Administrator by the TFAA. Janda was again humbled in 2023 to be honored with the Texas Bandmasters Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

JD continues to be an active adjudicator and clinician. He has presented lectures and professional development sessions across America - at educator conferences, universities, and school districts small and large. But he takes the most pride in his daughter, Jane Janda Maloy, the Head Band Director at Westbrook Intermediate in Clear Creek ISD, and his son Gordon Janda, the Head Band Director at Tomball High School. Additional pride also knowing that dozens of his former students are music educators across America and dozens more are public school teachers.

The final and most important ‘thank you’ goes to the thousands of JD’s students and all their parents! Those students always rose to all the performance challenges. It was each of them that always - ALWAYS - made Janda burst with pride! Famously, Janda would acknowledge that he never marched a step or played a note, the music ALWAYS came from the super-talented students!

JD’s wife, Nancy, also retired in 2023 after serving 36 years as a Texas public school math teacher. They have two awesome, beautiful, smart, curious, and talented grandsons, Elwood James Maloy and Finn Hobbs Maloy. Janda spends his now more frequent leisure time on the golf course or at the poker table and continues to cheer his lungs out for the Houston Astros, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Stars. In March 2025, JD and Nancy completed their retirement dream home in the quiet, dark, secluded woods near Franklin, Texas. They are enjoying a retirement filled with grandkids, sunsets, gardening, cats, and volunteering.