Metropolitan Winds

What's an accomplished musician to do after High School or College when they want to continue playing ensemble music at a high level? Providing an answer to this conundrum is behind the establishment of the Metropolitan Winds.

The Metropolitan Winds was founded in 1993 by volunteer musicians with interests in performing classical transcriptions, contemporary wind band literature, and traditional military band selections beyond high school and college. The original name of the ensemble was the Coppell Symphonic Band, and was later changed to the Coppell Civic Wind Symphony. The final name change to the Metropolitan Winds was an acknowledgment of the group's musical and physical growth, attracting musicians and fans from across North Texas.

Over time, The Metropolitan Winds has adopted the mission of making Music Matter; Enhancing North Texas' quality of life by promoting and performing great wind band music as well as enriching, educating, and entertaining the general public with a special emphasis on providing young, talented, and aspiring student artists opportunities to perform as soloists with a first-class wind ensemble.

Through the years we have benefitted from the leadership of fine music directors who have provided the group original compositions and arrangements, as well as significant connection with musical resources from around the Metroplex and beyond. We have developed a reputation for the performance of film score wind transcriptions of Hollywood greats, such as John Williams and Bruce Broughton, and have brought in world class soloists such as Arturo Sandoval and Karen Ziemba.

Through our unique repertory, our community outreach, and our intense musical dedication, the Metropolitan Winds is ever striving to present our audiences with an experience beyond the expectations of a community band. The Metropolitan Winds is a member in good standing of the Association of Concert Bands (ACB), the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI).

Frank Felice, Music Director

In June of 2022, Frank Felice was appointed as the Music Director of the Metropolitan Winds, which he served as the Associate Director for the past nineteen years. Mr. Felice is only the third person to serve as the Music Director of the Metropolitan Winds, which was founded in 1993 by Randol Bass.

Frank Felice also serves the teachers and students of Little Elm ISD (TX) as the Director of Fine Arts. Prior to his appointment to this position in 2021, he served as the Director of Bands at Little Elm High School for seventeen years, as well as nine years as an assistant director and middle school director. While at LEHS, he oversaw the
band program district-wide, while also serving ten of those years as Fine Arts Coordinator and department chair at Little Elm High School. Under his direction, the band at LEHS grew from 32 members to over 220 members strong. Mr. Felice's bands have competed in the Bands of America Concert Band Festival, 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 Gulf Coast Showcase of Music in South Padre, as well as other festivals throughout the country. Mr. Felice's bands have received numerous Sweepstakes and "Superior" ratings from the University Interscholastic League and throughout the states of Texas and Louisiana.

Throughout his career, Mr. Felice has served as a guest honor band clinician, adjudicator, marching clinician, drill instructor, low brass technician, and summer band camp conductor. Mr. Felice has also performed throughout Louisiana and Texas as a guest performer on euphonium, trombone, and tuba.

Frank 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, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Fine Arts Administrators, and the National Band Association. In his free time, Mr. Felice loves to spend time travelling with his family and cooking outdoors. He and his wife, Ginger, are most proud of their two children, Claire and Ryan

 Dr. Jeff Mathews, Guest Conductor 

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University, Dr. Mathews taught high school band for seven years in the public schools of Louisiana and Texas. Dr. Mathews received the Master of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas, where he served as a Teaching Fellow. He continued his studies with Thomas Fraschillo at the University of Southern Mississippi where he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in conducting pedagogy. He was on the faculty of Northwestern State University from 1998 to 2021 where he was the Director of Bands and an Associate Professor of Music before retiring. His ensembles at Northwestern State were selected to perform at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and
Ensembles International Conference in Spain and at the Southern Division Conference of the College Band Directors National Association. While at NSU he taught Band, Marching Band Techniques, Music Theory, Conducting, and Music Education. His research has been published by the Journal of Band Research and he has presented clinics at the Louisiana Music Educators Association Convention and the Texas Music Educators Association Convention. He is also a regular guest conductor with the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra in the United Kingdom. Dr. Mathews served for 15 years as the Commander and Conductor of the Texas Air National Guard Band. He led this band on a tour of the Czech Republic during the summer of 1999 and to Afghanistan and Iraq in 2007. In 2011, he was appointed Chief, Air National Guard Bands. In this capacity, he advises, directs policy, and provides budgets for all the Air National Guard Bands in the United States. He is currently a band director at Lowell H. Strike Middle School and lives in Mckinney, Texas.