The Team
Who We Are
Mark Price
Director of Bands
Mark Price is currently the Director of Bands for McAlester Public Schools. Since 2018, he has led the Pride of McAlester Marching Band and High School Wind Ensemble, along with overseeing all aspects of the band program. Additionally, he teaches beginning trumpet at Parker Intermediate Center and 7th and 8th grade brass classes at Randy Hughes Middle School. This is currently his 17th year as a music educator. He began teaching at McAlester Public Schools in 2010, as Assistant Director of Bands for eight years, five of which he directed the Pride of McAlester Marching Band. He began his teaching career in 2007 as Director of Bands at Dewar Public Schools. Mr. Price graduated high school from Pottsboro, TX in 2002. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2007 and a Masters of Education degree from East Central University in 2009. Mr. Price will begin serving as President of the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association this fall and previously was elected to serve as President-Elect, Vice President, and Parliamentarian. He maintains memberships in the National Association for Music Education, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, and Oklahoma Bandmasters Association. Mr. Price was awarded Band Director of the Year by the Southeastern Oklahoma Band Directors Association in 2017 and led the McAlester High School Band to the OSSAA State Sweepstakes Award in 2023. Mr. Price has been married to his wife Jamie for 17 years and they have two children, Casen and Kinsley, and a miniature schnauzer named Ranger. Mr. Price is also the worship drummer at Life Church in McAlester and enjoys Texas Rangers baseball and spending time traveling to the mountains in Colorado with his family.
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Andrew Hatch
Assistant Director of Bands
Andrew Hatch is an Assistant Director of Bands and Percussion Coordinator at McAlester Public Schools. Mr. Hatch directs the High School Symphonic Band, Basketball Pep Band, Steel Drum Band, and Percussion Ensemble. He is currently in his 13th year of teaching having also taught in Elk City, OK, Clinton, OK and Wheeler, TX. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2010 with a degree in Music Education and in 2013 with a Masters in Music Education. Mr. Hatch was recently elected to serve as President of the Oklahoma Music Adjudicators Association and will begin his four year term next fall. Mr. Hatch has been married for over 17 years to his wonderful wife, Amanda. Together they have 3 wonderful children John 14, Kelly 11, and Hazel 4. Also, two dogs Oakley and Penny. Mr. Hatch enjoys spending time with his family and anything outdoors.
Tiffany Lopez
Assistant Director of Bands
Tiffany Lopez is an Assistant Director of Bands at McAlester Public Schools where she began her teaching career in 2020. Currently, she serves as the 7th grade band director, the woodwind choir director, and as the McAlester High School Varsity and Junior Varsity Color Guard coach. Additionally, she teaches the beginning flute, oboe, and bassoon students, 7th and 8th-grade woodwind students, and serves as a private lessons teacher for these students from 6th-12th grade. Mrs. Lopez graduated from Coweta Public Schools in 2016 and earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oklahoma State University in 2020 (Go Pokes!). She has also held membership in many professional organizations including the National Association for Music Education, the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, and the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. Mrs. Lopez is also an Alumni member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Sigma Alpha Iota. She is happily married to her favorite coworker, Francisco Lopez. The two share a dog (Chance) and a Cat (Snow) and are active members of the McAlester CrossFit community. Her hobbies include reading, taking vigorous naps, and spending time with friends and family. Each day she finds a new reason to call McAlester home!
Jarrett Adams
Assistant Director of Bands
Jarrett Adams is an Assistant Director of Bands for McAlester Public Schools. He teaches 8th Grade Band, beginning clarinet, beginning bass clarinet, and beginning saxophone. He is also a director for the Basketball Athletic Band. He is completing his third year in education. Mr. Adams is a 2014 graduate of McAlester High School. In 2018, he finished his Associates in Arts and went on to further his love for music. Mr. Adams graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelors in Instrumental Music in 2020. After graduating, he moved back to his hometown to continue pursuing his passion for music and education. During his time as the 8th Grade Director, Mr. Adams has led the band to earn a superior rating on stage and in sight reading, and the Outstanding Achievement Award presented by OSSAA for two consecutive years. This is the highest honor for a middle school band in the state of Oklahoma. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, and the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. In his free time, he serves on the board for McAlester Community Theatre. Some of his hobbies include singing, serving at Life Church, live theater, playing ultimate frisbee, and cooking.
Francisco Lopez
Assistant Director of Bands
Francisco Lopez is an Assistant Director of Bands for McAlester Public Schools. Mr. Lopez serves as the 6th Grade Band Coordinator, director of the jazz ensemble, and the director of the brass choir. Additionally, he teaches beginning low brass, music theory, music appreciation, and an advanced band class. Mr. Lopez is from Houston, Texas where he graduated from Heights High school in 2013. He earned his Associates Degree in Music from Blinn College and a Bachelors of Instrumental Music Education degree from the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University. During his time at Oklahoma State University Mr. Lopez was an active member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha music fraternities. Prior to McAlester, Mr. Lopez was a Director of Bands at Ripley Public Schools and Savanna Public Schools. He has also held membership in many professional organizations including the National Association for Music Education, the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, and the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. This summer Mr. Lopez will tour and serve as the Assistant Brass Coordinator for Oklahoma’s only Drum and Bugle Corp, Zephyrus. He is happily married to Tiffany Lopez, who is also his favorite co-worker. His hobbies include basketball, ultimate frisbee, cooking, playing french horn, and playing video games. Mr. Lopez has enjoyed his first year at McAlester and is looking forward to his future as a Buffalo.
Angel Clark
Color Guard Director
Angel Clark is the Color Guard Director for McAlester Public Schools. Mrs. Clark was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she spent eleven years as a competitive figure skater. Mrs. Clark earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Tulsa in 2013, as a double major in music and Arts Management with a minor in music business. In 2016 she earned her juris doctorate from Oklahoma City University School of Law, and has been a practicing attorney in McAlester for the firm of Steidley & Neal, P.L.L.C. since 2017.​ Mrs. Clark started teaching color guard at Eufaula High School.
In 2019 she took over as the color guard director for Hilldale High School in Muskogee where she led the color guard to earn numerous caption awards in marching band and started the schools winter guard program in 2021. The Guard spent their inaugural season undefeated culminating in Hilldale becoming the 2021 Scholastic Regional B State Champions. Since that first year the program added a Junior Varsity team which spent one season in novice before being promoted to the Scholastic Regional B classification ending their second season in the top​ 10. The Varsity team has maintained their position in the top 10 in the state over the years and finished their 2024 season following a promotion to Scholastic B in fifth place. In addition, they also finished fourth at their inaugural WGI appearance, just one point shy of making finals.During her time at the University of Tulsa, Mrs. Clark was marched clarinet with the Sound of the Golden Hurricane and was an active member of the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity and Kappa Delta Sorority. She was also an active member of the Phi Alpha Delta international law fraternity. She has served as a member of the Color Guard Review committee for Winter Guard and Percussion of Oklahoma for two (2) years, she was also a member of the handbook committee. In 2023 Mrs. Clark was voted director of the year for Winter Guard and Percussion of Oklahoma and she was recently elected as the vice-president of the circuit.
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aclark@mpsbuffs,org