DIRECTORS

Information about the Highland Directors is listed here

Douglas R. Fletcher - Director of Bands

Douglas R. Fletcher is currently in his twenty-third year of teaching young people through instrumental music.  He began his career in 1985 at Monroe Central Jr./Sr. High School, Parker City, Indiana.  While at Monroe Central, the “Marching Bears” won the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition three years in a row (’89, ‘90, ‘91).  During his final year at Monroe Central the band also competed in the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) marching band contest and was a state finalist.  In 1989, the Marching Bears performed in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade and also marched in the Indianapolis 500 Festival parade on two occasions.  In 1991, the Monroe Central Concert Band performed at the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) State Convention.

Following his tenure at Monroe Central, Mr. Fletcher moved to Winchester Community High School located in Winchester, Indiana.  There, he served as the Director of Instrumental Music.  The WCHS marching band, known as “The Force,”  was an ISSMA state finalist on numerous occasions, and was the ISSMA state runner-up in class D twice (’96, ‘97).  In the summer of 1997, The Force won the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition.  Mr. Fletcher also developed the WCHS concert band program which participated in the annual ISSMA Organizational contests in Group I receiving consistent Division I ratings.  In 1997, the WCHS concert band performed at the IMEA State Convention.

Mr. Fletcher is currently the Director of Bands at Highland High School in Anderson where he teaches two concert bands (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band), one jazz band (Jazz Ensemble), a choral class (freshman choir), a music theory class, and oversees the color guard class.  During his years at Highland, the Marching Highlanders have marched in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade (twice), the Magic Kingdom Parade at Walt Disney World (twice), and in 2002 marched in the prestigious Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.  The Marching Highlanders are the proud 2005 and 2007 Indiana State Fair Band Day champions.  Mr. Fletcher is the only director to win the State Fair at three different schools and is tied for the most championships won at six.  Under his leadership, the top-level concert band (Wind Ensemble) qualified to perform in the ISSMA Concert Band State Finals in 1999 and 2000.  In January of 2001, the HHS Wind Ensemble performed at the IMEA State Convention. 

Mr. Fletcher holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education from Ball State University.  He played trombone in the Anderson Symphony Orchestra for twenty years and played for ten years in the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Fletcher currently serves as choir director and organist of the First United Methodist Church in Winchester, Indiana.  Mr. Fletcher also arranges music for several Indiana marching bands and frequently serves as a clinician and adjudicator.  

Mr. Fletcher is a member of the Indiana Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National Conference, Indiana Music Educators Association, IMEA Honor Band committee (Chair), Central States Judges Association, Phi Beta Mu honorary fraternity for band directors, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Mr. Fletcher is married to Amy Fletcher, who is also a band director at Maxwell Middle School in the Greenfield-Central Schools.  The Fletchers currently reside in Muncie with their two black labs, Bailey and  Boaz.

Stephen L. Stickler - Assistant Director of Bands

bio coming soon!