Mark Melton was born and raised in the East Texas oilfield town of Kilgore. His dad and grandparents came to East Texas during the Great Depression to find work in the booming oil fields. He was the third of three children born to Bruce and Jean Melton and grew up playing with the neighborhood children and exploring the nearby woods. He loved swimming at the city pool, riding his bicycle all over town and collecting and selling coke bottles to buy the latest superhero comic books to read during the hot summer days in his family’s only air-conditioned room. He also loved “checking wells” with his dad, who was an oilfield production foreman. He learned to drive a “three on the tree” on the East Texas oilfield back roads and enjoyed getting to shoot, fish and hunt arrowheads.

Mark’s older brother and sister were Kilgore High School band students – Kathy on clarinet and Jimmy on trumpet. Mark would sometimes play Jimmy’s trumpet growing up. When the time came to try out for band, Mark told his band director that he already owned a trumpet. After a quick buzz test, trumpet was chosen. The Kilgore bands, grades 7-12, all shared one band hall and when Mark heard the high school band rehearsing, he was hooked! Mark was also blessed with getting to hear Doc Severinson play with the Kilgore College Band several times while he was in junior high and high school.

He was an all-state cornet player for two years. The first in 1973, when snow closed San Antonio during the convention and the second time in Houston in 1974, during the oil embargo when the grand concert was moved to noon because gas stations were closed on Sunday. His band director, Larry Edge, found out that Bill Chase was playing at a Houston area pizza joint. He asked if the Kilgore all-staters wanted to stay and hear Bill Chase. Of course, the answer was yes! The only problem was that the whale sized Kilgore ISD station wagon got terrible mileage and around Nacogdoches was close to empty. Larry found a mom-and-pop station which was closed and went to the house behind the station and told the owners that if they didn’t sell him some fuel, he and the four Kilgore High School students were going to have to spend the night with them! They decided to break the law and sell some gasoline!

After high school, Mark went to Stephen F Austin University, where he studied with Dr. Max Morley and Melvin Montgomery. He was the trumpet section leader of the Lumberjack Marching Band, the Symphonic Band, and the Swinging Axes. He also played with the faculty brass quintet. During his sophomore year, the SFA band performed at TMEA, and he also began a relationship with his future wife, Lyric Lyon. They were married after their junior year and have three children, Steven, Philip, and Katie. They also have three grandchildren, Aubrey, Allie and Addie.
Mark began his band directing career in 1978 at Spring Hill and one year later, became the director of Lufkin Jr High East for five years. This was during the good ol’ days when jr. high bands went to marching contest! After a couple of years of making ratings other than ones, he finally started earning sweepstakes. In 1988, Mark went to work in Union Grove ISD, where he was the high school director, the junior high director and the beginning band director. The Union Grove band program was in disarray, but after a couple of years of building, the band earned a sweepstakes rating in 1990 and that streak is still going. The Union Grove years were extremely rewarding, not only due to great ratings, but also due to several TMEA honor band finalist awards, OPS awards, UIL State Marching appearances and best in class awards at NAMMB, the Winter Park Ski Festival and the Gilmer Yamboree Marching Contest! A major highlight was the appearance of the Union Grove Middle School band as the class C Honor Band in 2007 with Mark’s student, Aaron Handorf directing this fine group.

In 2011, after the graduation of his own kids from Union Grove, Mark accepted a position at Pine Tree ISD as Director of Bands and then became the first Director of Fine Arts. Under his direction, the band doubled in size and had many all-state students and many outstanding performers at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest. He also directed the jazz band, which became an outreach tool for the school and even performed several times with Neal McCoy. Mark was awarded the Pine Tree Beacon Award and the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award. He also was awarded the Texas Bandmasters Association Meritorious Achievement Award in 2017. In 2016, Mark became the UIL executive secretary for Region IV, and he still holds that position. He is a member of TMEA, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, and a charter member of NAMMB.

Mark attributes his success to Don Lawler, who patiently kept encouraging him to keep improving his skills as a band director and supported him throughout his whole career. He is also thankful to Melvin Montgomery, Max Morley, Waymon Bullock, Neal Grant, Bobby Goff, Mike Geddie, Doice Grant, Larry Ward, plus his junior high and high school directors, Mary Griffith, and Larry Edge. He is especially grateful for his lifelong friend and supporter, Jim Hughes, and the late Glenn Wells. He also attributes his success to his greatest supporter of all, his wife, Lyric.
Mark enjoys cooking, golf, yard work and spending time and traveling with his wonderful wife. They are active at East Mountain Baptist Church, where they teach Sunday School, sing in the choir and where Mark serves as a deacon. He is especially grateful for the support and camaraderie of his fellow directors, Phi Beta Mu Alpha Chapter, and his wonderful family.