On February 18, 1954, Scott was born in Denton, Texas, to Evelyn and Maurice McAdow. Scott's dad was Director of Bands at the University of North Texas, and his mother taught French and Spanish at the university. Scott felt very fortunate to grow up in a loving home that valued hard work, respect, education, and faith in God.
Scott's dad, Maurice, before becoming a band director, was a very talented professional trumpet player. Mr. McAdow started Scott on cornet at age five. In the evenings, during Scott's elementary grade years, he and his dad would play duets. His dad taught him many musical skills through the duets, including giving Scott the ability to be able to transpose with ease—a skill that would be valuable in the future. Scott learned so many valuable lessons from his dad about music—the greatest being the value of musicianship.
Denton offered wonderful musical and artistic opportunities for young people. One of these was a life changer for Scott, when he joined the 100 voice First Methodist Church Credo Choir, an organization that tours out of state and performs major choral works. This was the beginning of Scott's life-long love of choral music.
By the time Scott started as a freshman music major at the University of North Texas, he had made up his mind to pursue a double major in both vocal and instrumental music education. He felt fortunate to earn membership in both the top performing choir and band while at the university. Once Scott decided that he wanted to be a band director, his dad encouraged him to take private lessons on various woodwind instruments. Through these lessons, Scott gained a great deal of practical information he would use throughout his career.
Scott's senior recital featured him performing both as a trumpet player and vocalist, and his proudest moment at the university occurred when he was voted outstanding Senior music major by a vote of the faculty. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Texas with a double major in instrumental and choral music.
Scott started his career opening a brand-new school, Wells Middle School, in Spring ISD. In Scott's first UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest, the entire band fit on a single school bus. Scott was shocked to discover that the sight-reading selection for middle school band was in three movements. The second movement segued directly into the third movement with only a snare drum playing. The band started its reading of this three-movement tune. They survived the first and second movement, and now it came time for the snare drum soloist, who also had to make a tempo change. Seventh grader Charles started playing but very hesitantly. Right away, eighth grade drummers appeared on each side of him and started trying to help him! Scott had stressed to the band to not help each other during the actual sight-reading performance, as they could distract each other. Scott made gestures while he conducted trying to get them to leave him alone - but to no avail. Charles looked at Scott, shrugged his shoulders then hit each of them simultaneously with drum sticks, smiled and successfully played to the end! The band made a first division rating in sight reading!
During this time, Scott became Richard Crain's assistant at Spring High School, where Scott was both humbled and awed by Richard Crain's magical charisma with students. Soon, Scott became the head band director at Spring High. During Scott's tenure, the Spring Band earned an appearance at the Texas State Marching Band Contest, followed by placing at the state level of the State Honor Band competition.
In 1985, Scott returned to middle school band directing, leaving time to complete his master's degree. His four years at Hildebrandt Intermediate in Klein ISD were very rewarding. Daughter Allison arrived shortly after UIL Contest in 1987. In 1988 the band won Class C Honor Band, and Scott completed his Master of Music degree from the University of Houston. Scott's work with mentor Eddie Green provided him with unparalleled, lifelong, and truly brilliant information about how to teach band, and Eddie Green also became a cherished and very close friend.
In an effort to live closer to his parents, the McAdows moved to the DFW area, and he became Jim Van Zandt's assistant at Richland High School in Birdville ISD. Jim remains a close friend. The Richland tenure coincided with the birth of Scott’s second child, Blake. Scott learned a great deal from Fine Arts director Henry Schraub about the benefits of being organized, especially in regards to the maintenance of school owned instruments. Mr. Schraub has been a lifelong mentor and treasured friend to Scott.
In 1991, an opportunity presented itself that Scott could not resist, and he became the Director of Bands at Langham Creek High School. Scott's eighteen-year tenure at Langham Creek saw a great band program develop. The first marching contest Scott ever took the Langham Creek band to was the Spring ISD Marching Festival. A typical 1991 marching drill often had bands form a distinctive shape, then march that shape down the field. The Langham Creek band had one such marching maneuver. Unfortunately, as the band marched 24 steps in one direction, a freshman sax player marched 24 steps the other direction. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the band halted at the end of the move! The show ended and the young sax player was devastated. Scott assured him that it would all be okay, even though Scott was worried about the outcome. To Scott’s pleasant surprise, not one judge was critical of the wrong direction move, and two judges commented to move the sax soloist closer to the sideline for better projection!
John Scarcella was the Director of Fine Arts when Scott started at Langham Creek High School. Fortunately, John had an open mind, and as the Langham Creek band program earned an increasing amount of recognition, John responded with the support and resources needed to make it possible for Scott to lay a strong foundation for a rewarding future for the Langham Creek band program. Subsequent Fine Arts Directors Bill Quillen and Larry Matysiak were also paramount in making great things possible for the band.
Ultimately, the Langham Creek Band would win Class 5A Honor Band twice (the largest classification at that time) and appear at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic twice, succeeding itself in both competitions; place the most students in the Texas All State Band; and make five finalist appearances at the Texas UIL State Marching Band Contest. In addition to the many dedicated private teachers and superhuman assistants, Scott especially wants to recognize Ramsey MacDonald for his incredible contributions in the early years of building the Langham Creek band program. Ramsey has an amazing talent of being able to help absolutely any band student sound great on their instrument! Also, Gloria Ramirez shared her special talents and positive personality with Scott and the band the last several years Scott was at Langham Creek.
After 25 years as a high school band director, Scott chose to teach at Campbell Middle School - a Title One campus in Cy Fair ISD. Scott feels that some of his most meaningful teaching was accomplished at Campbell, where he watched band participation literally change lives. During Scott's seven-year tenure at Campbell, the band program doubled in size, added a director, and successfully performed Grade 4 and 5 music with few or none of the students in private lessons. The Campbell Symphonic Band was the 2015 recipient of the Foundation for Music Education National Wind Band Honors Commended Winner Award. Assistant Matt Utter was a remarkably dedicated partner for Scott at Campbell, and Marion West was an exceptional mentor to both students and band directors at Campbell.
Scott retired in 2016 after serving 39 years as a public-school band director. Scott currently supervises student teachers for the University of Houston. In the past few years, he has been a clinician and consultant to bands in 26 different school districts across Texas. Scott has directed All Region Bands in 11 Texas regions, and he also leads inservice presentations in various school districts. He is the Chancel Choir Director for Advent Lutheran Church in Houston.
A three-time TMEA Leadership and Achievement Award recipient, Scott has several publications, including recent feature articles in both the Texas Bandmasters Association’s Bandmasters Review, and the Texas Music Educators Association’s Southwestern Musician. Scott has served on the national John Philip Sousa Foundation selection committee, and his professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association.
Scott will always be indebted to these mentors, colleagues, and friends: Destry Balch, Tom Bennett, Tom and Priscilla Bell, John Benzer, David Bertman, Brian Best, Jason Bird, David Burks, John Carroll, Howard Dunn, Andy Easton, Brian Gibbs, John Gossett, Tom Harrington, Robert Hastings, Russell Holcombe, John Haynie, Greg Hull, Sharon Kalisek, Chris Lambrecht, Becky Lewis, Melodianne Mallow, Gabe Musella, Jimmy Nowell, Joe Nunez, Don Owens, Tye Ann Payne, Mike Pickrell, Mike Reed, Charlotte Royal, Kevin Sedatole, Randy Vaughn, Chip Wadenpfuhl, Bill Watson, and Dustin Winson.
Scott wants to sincerely thank the hundreds of dedicated band parents who so selflessly served the band students and directors. Scott wants to salute and offer heartfelt appreciation to the thousands of students he taught who shared their amazing talents, offered incredible dedication to their band programs, and had the patience to follow and learn from a man who passionately loved his students and sincerely wanted to teach his students the value of teamwork and the satisfaction of pursuing and achieving high quality musical performances.
Above all, Scott wants to thank his family. His mother and dad supported him 100% in all endeavors he pursued. Scott's children, Allison and Blake, who both served as drum majors for him and each performed in one of the Langham Creek State Honor Band performances, have always offered their unconditional love and support!! Scott thanks you for this honor of being inducted in the Phi Beta Mu Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame.