Ivan Wansley
Ivan G. Wansley, a native Floridian, is in his 44th year as a Music Educator. During this time, Mr. Wansley had successful teaching tenures at the middle school, the junior high school, the high school, and the college/university levels. While teaching in the public schools of Florida all areas of his programs were rated “superior” at both the district and state levels with the Florida Bandmaster’s Association. At Immokalee High School Mr. Wansley had the first “superior” at a FBA event in the history of the school. At Cape Coral High School, he was recognized as “Teacher of the Year,” and the CCHS marching band participated in the Cotton Bowl Parade, Dallas, Texas, Inauguration parade for governors in Tallahassee, FL, and first national commercial for the Twistee Treat Ice Cream Company. At Vero Beach Jr High School, he had three concert bands, in the same year, earn a “superior” at the FBA music performance assessment. Mr. Wansley received his BA degree (1978) in Music Education/Fine Arts and his MA degree (1995) in Wind Conducting from the University of South Florida in Tampa, studying with Dr. James Croft and Dr. Mallory Thompson.
Mr. Wansley still shares his knowledge with the directors and their students throughout Florida. He continues to present sessions at district and state conferences regularly. The recent series, “How To Fix It,” is attended by over 800-1000 participants annually at the Florida Music Educators Conference. He is co-owner of “Makes Sense” Drill Design and Leadership Camps which writes drills for some of the top bands in Florida. Mr. Wansley has provided leadership training for thousands of high school band students at hundreds of schools. He owns DOLCE woodwind mouthpieces which are used by professional and amateur woodwind players throughout the Southeastern United States. Mr. Wansley is currently in the 14th season as the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Hollingsworth Winds, an adult based concert band located in Polk County, FL. He
has conducted 38 all county, district, regional and all-state bands in Florida and North Carolina and the Festival of Winds at the University of South three times.
Mr. Wansley is an active private clarinet teacher producing numerous all-state and all-county players. He is an active adjudicator for the Florida Marching Band Coalition,
Music In The Parks, OrlandoFest and the Kentucky Music Educators Association.
His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmaster’s Association (life member - former board member and member of numerous committees), Phi Beta Mu International Band Director’s Fraternity (member of the Steering Committee – Past
President), American School Band Director’s Association (State Clinics Chair), Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota (Friend of the Arts) Professional Music Fraternity, Delta Omicron (Patron) Professional Music Fraternity and the Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society.
