Forest High School Band Program
SINCE 1922
Shawn Barat received the degrees BME and ME in instrumental conducting from the University of Florida where he performed with many of the university's ensembles on trombone. After graduation in 1995, Mr. Barat took his first teaching position at Forest High School. Under his direction, the Forest High School Band attended the State Concert MPA for the first time since 1980. They received a Superior at the State MPA the following year in 1998, the first one for Forest High School since the days of Ocala High and Mrs. Browne' Greaton Cole. Enrollment continued to increase during his tenure. During this time he also took the jazz band to the first Jazz MPA. Prior to this year, Jazz was considered an S&E event and did not have its own MPA.
At the end of 1998 Mr Barat left Forest to serve as the director at Winter Haven High School. He served there until 2006.
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From 2006- 2013, Mr. Barat completed a seven-year tenure as director of bands at Douglas Anderson (DA) School of the Arts in Jacksonville. Under Mr. Barat’s direction, the DA Wind Symphony performed at the 2008 NAfME National Biennial In-Service Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the 2009 FMEA Professional Development Conference in Tampa, the 2011 Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago in December 2011.
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Mr. Barat then served at the University of North Florida as adjunct professor of music and director of the Concert Band and the Osprey Pep Band from 2013-2015.
Mr. Barat started at Buchholz High School in spring 2015. At Buchholz, Mr. Barat directed the Golden Regiment Marching Band, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band; taught Advanced Placement Music Theory; and served as a cosponsor for the Buchholz Tri-M chapter. All ensembles continued a long tradition of receiving superior ratings at district and state assessments. During Mr. Barat’s tenure, the Wind Symphony traveled to Washington, D.C., to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in April 2017, performed on the President’s Concert at the 2019 FMEA Professional Development Conference, and had been invited to perform on the featured stage at the 2020 Music for All National Concert Band Festival.
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Mr. Barat was heavily involved with the Florida Bandmasters Association for many years, serving several times as a district chairman, as well as the head of several state committee. He served as a clinician for many honor bands over the years and was afforded the opportunity to be a clinician for the Florida All State Bands.
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In 2021, Mr. Barat stepped down as the band director at Buchholz High School.
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