Erik Stone

Erik Stone

Youth Concert Band Conductor

Erik Stone is the Director of Bands, Elementary Vocal Music, and AVID (Achievement via Individual Determination) Site Coordinator at Gordon Parks Academy in Wichita. He is a native of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and since graduating with his bachelor's degree in Special-Instrumental Music Education and a master’s degree in Music Education from Wichita State University, Mr. Stone has had tremendous success working with musicians at all ages. His students have received top ratings at local and state level festivals for their superior musicianship. Through observations of his work from administrators and leaders in the field of music education, it is obvious that his students love and respect him as much as he does them.

Mr. Stone is an experienced guest conductor and clinician, marching band drill writer, choreographer, and author working with students from the beginning years of instruction to professional level ensembles. He has served as a clinician and guest director for the Dodge City Municipal Band, Kansas Lions State Band, the Kansas Lions International Marching Band, Youth for Music Honor Band, Southern Plains Honor Band, Holton Honor Band, and most recently the Wichita Public Schools All-City 7th Grade Honor Band and All-City High School Marching Band. He performs regularly with the Delano Wind Ensemble and assists with rehearsing the Wichita Symphony Orchestra Youth Wind Ensemble. Additionally he maintains a studio of woodwind students from the Wichita Metropolitan Area.

Erik Stone has been an active member of the Kansas Bandmasters Association since 2010. In 2017 he was recognized by the organization as the Outstanding Young Bandmaster. In 2017 he assumed the position of the Middle Level Honor Band Chairman. This position included the 2020 Virtual KBA Middle Level Honor Band with guest clinician Darcy Vogt Williams; partnering with Ion Concert Media to premier a new film set to the virtual honor band’s performance. He has also worked with clinicians such as Brian Balmages, Erin Cole, Steve Graves, and Mickey Smith Jr. Additionally, Mr. Stone has been an integral part of the presence and visibility of the organization serving as the Social Media and Marketing Manager, a position formally established in 2018.

Most recently, Erik Stone was recognized by Wichita Public Schools as the 2023 Distinguished Classroom Teacher of the Year at the Middle School level. He currently represents Wichita Public Schools as their secondary education candidate for the Kansas Teacher of the Year for 2025.

In addition to his service with the Kansas Bandmasters Association he serves as the Social Media and Marketing Manager for the Kansas Music Educators Association. He is an active member of Phi Beta Mu, Mu Phi Epsilon, and a published author with The Instrumentalist Magazine.

When he is not actively working on all things band and education Erik can be found at home singing to his favorite musicals while cleaning, doing home improvement projects with friends, or spending time with his miniature dachshund, Maleficent.