Frank Felice is the Director of Bands for Little Elm ISD. Under his leadership, the LEHS Band has seen unprecedented growth and stands over 220 students strong. Mr. Felice’s bands have competed in the Louisiana Concert Band Invitational, Dallas Wind Symphony Invitational at the Meyerson Symphony Center, National Adjudicators Invitational Festival in San Antonio, the All-American Music Festival in Orlando, Magic Music Days in Orlando, the Breckenridge Music Festival, the Gulfcoast Showcase of Music in South Padre, and many other various festivals. Mr. Felice’s bands have received UIL Sweepstakes Awards and “Superior” ratings throughout Texas and Louisiana.
At Little Elm High School, Mr. Felice is responsible for teaching the Lobo Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Instrumental Techniques, as well as AP Music Theory.
Mr. Felice has served as a guest honor band conductor, adjudicator, marching clinician, drill instructor, low brass technician, and summer band conductor.
Frank Felice is also the Associate Conductor of the premier civic wind ensemble in the DFW metroplex, the Metropolitan Winds. In this role, he serves both as conductor and performer on euphonium. Mr. Felice has also performed throughout the DFW area as a guest performer on euphonium, trombone, and tuba.
Mr. Felice received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Louisiana State University and holds membership in the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Associaton. Mr. Felice and his wife, Ginger, are most proud of their two wonderful children, Claire and Ryan Felice.
Maxwell Atkinson is the Associate Director at Little Elm High School. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas. Most recently, Mr. Atkinson served as the Associate Director at Creekview High School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD from 2016-2019.
While at the University of North Texas, Mr. Atkinson studied euphonium under Dr. Brian Bowman and Dr. Patrick Nyren. Mr. Atkinson also marched in the Green Brigade marching band for four years, serving as section leader, marching technician, and eventually drum major. He also participated in the University of North Texas Concert band under the baton of Dr. Nicholas Enrico Williams, NT Tuba-Euphonium ensembles under Dr. Brian Bowman, and various chamber ensembles. Outside of UNT, Mr. Atkinson marched for three years at The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle corps, earning the “Rookie of the Year” award in 2011 and serving as Horn Sergeant in 2013. Mr. Atkinson teaches with the Cavaliers and has taught the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corp and various other marching bands in the Dallas area.
Mr. Atkinson is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, NTTEA, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Matt Neal is currently the percussion director/assistant director at Little Elm High School in Little Elm ISD. He coordinates all aspects of the high school percussion program, as well as instruction of the beginning percussion classes, middle school percussion sections and percussion ensembles. Mr. Neal held the same position at Creekview High School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch from 2013-2017, Rockwall-Heath High School in Rockwall, Texas, for the 2012-2013 school year and North Lamar High School in Paris, Texas, from 2005-2012. Mr. Neal’s students have been recognized at the state and national level in all areas of performance, including concert and marching percussion ensemble, and in their solo endeavors.
Since 2004 Mr. Neal has been a percussion instructor and the music coordinator for the Red River Drum and Auxiliary Camp, an annual summer camp providing instruction for marching percussion, color guard and drum majors. It is one of the largest and most successful summer camps of its kind in the country. From 2007 to 2010 Mr. Neal was the percussion arranger/writer for the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Marching Band in Durant, Oklahoma.
Mr. Neal graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma, with a degree in Instrumental Music Performance in 2003. Following his time at SOSU, he earned a Master’s degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in Percussion Performance in 2005. Mr. Neal currently resides in Little Elm, Texas with his wife Angela, an Orff specialist and an elementary music teacher in Frisco ISD.
Kristen Zotti is the Guard Director at Little Elm High School. She is originally from Cheshire, Connecticut, where she began her marching career with the Cheshire High School Band and their Scholastic World Class Winter Guard from 2005-2009. During high school, she independently participated in the Connecticut Hurricanes DCI drum and bugle corp from 2007-2010. Following high school, Ms. Zotti performed with the Independent World Guard, Alter Ego, from 2010-2012. She then moved to Dayton, Ohio, to be with the Zydeco Winter Guard for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. As well as her winter guard endevors, Ms. Zotti marched with the DCI corp, the Blue Stars, for two years. During her summers, Kristen Zotti serves as a camp clinician for Fred J. Miller camps. She has worked with many high school guards in Connecticut and Ohio, such as Cheshire, Southington, and Lakota West High Schools.
Daniel Hartselle is the Color Guard tech and visual coordinator at Little Elm High School. Mr. Hartselle also serves as director of the Color Guard program at Keller Central High School. His responsibilities include teaching the color guard year-round, as well as assisting with design and instruction of the Marching Band show in the fall. In the winter season Mr. Hartselle leads a varsity and junior varsity winter guard that compete both locally and nationally, including a WGI Finals appearance in 2016.
Prior to Central High School, Mr. Hartselle taught at Colleyville-Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX.