Martin High School Orchestras Directors

Martin Orchestra Directors

 

Michael Stringer is the Director of Orchestras at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. He began his musical training at age 10 in Mesquite, Texas where he studied violin in his school’s orchestra. After studying violin and trumpet throughout high school and college, Mr. Stringer graduated in 2000 from of The University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Music degree.


Stringer has taught at Martin HS since 2006. Mr. Stringers’ orchestras have been consistent winners of the UIL Sweepstakes Award, and have won numerous Best in Class Awards in festivals across the United States. Under his direction, the Martin HS Symphony Orchestra has placed four times in the finals of the TMEA Honor Orchestra Competition, placing 4th in String Orchestra during 2006, 5th in String Orchestra during 2008, 3rd in Full Orchestra and 4th in String Orchestra during 2009.


Mr. Stringer currently serves as the TMEA Region V Vice President and in 2008, Mr. Stringer traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to conduct the West Tennessee All State Orchestra.
During the summers, he is on staff at The University of Texas at Arlington Summer Strings Camp. He holds memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.


Michael has a wonderful wife, Sara and a three year old son, Matthew. In his spare time, he enjoys bowling for his league team “Complete RCA,” playing golf, choir practice and wrestling with his dog, Rifneerner.


Allison King is an assistant director of orchestras at Martin High School. She began playing the violin when she was one year old and eventually switched to the cello in the fourth grade. She was a member of the University of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra during middle school and high school, and attended the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp as the Governor’s Scholar from the State of California. While at Interlochen, she was the stand-in soloist for Yo-Yo Ma with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.


Mrs. King came to Texas from California, where she was the head director of Pioneer Middle School in Porterville. She returned to California in the summer of 2005 to perform with her former students at Carnegie Hall in New York.


Mrs. King holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Ronald Leonard, the former principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also holds a Master of Music in Music Education and a Certificate in Cello Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she studied with Dr. Elizabeth Morrow. She is currently the administrative assistant to the Texas Cello Academy and is on staff at the University of Texas at Arlington Summer Strings Camp. In 2005, Mrs. King was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honor Society. She has been a member of the American String Teachers Association for 19 years, and is currently a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She is also the sponsor of the Martin High School Chapter of the Texas Future Music Educators.


Allison spends much of her time with her wonderful husband, Jonathan. In her spare time she enjoys playing computer games, playing with her dogs Shadow and Zara, and watching movies with her husband.


Jennifer Lemin is an Assistant Director of Orchestras at Martin High School and the Strings Teacher at Little Elementary School in Arlington, Texas. She started her musical training in this district at Short Elementary, and then moved through Gunn Jr. High and graduated from Arlington High School with cello as her primary instrument. Mrs. Lemin is a graduate of The University of Texas at Arlington where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree.

Previous to being at Martin she was the Director of Orchestras for two middle schools in Grand Prairie, Texas. Under her direction, the program doubled in size with triple the amount of students enrolling for beginner strings. Additionally, Mrs. Lemin piloted an elementary strings program that thrived in its first year and began the stages of spreading through the district.

During the summers, she is on staff at The University of Texas at Arlington Summer Strings Camp. She holds memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Orchestra Directors Association.

Jennifer most enjoys time with her husband Don as well as his two kids. In her spare time, she frequently is hired to play with various performing groups

**Directors photos courtesy of Terry Ip Photography.