Bartlesville High School band director Alex Claussen to assume lead fine arts role at OSSAA

Alex Claussen, band director for the Bartlesville High School's Bruin Brigade, has accepted the position of Director of Fine Arts at the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA), the school announced Wednesday.

In his new role, Claussen told the E-E that he will have the opportunity to advocate for more than 100,000 fine arts students and their instruction in music, speech, debate and drama. He will also oversee all state competitions and selection of judges.

"It was a very difficult decision to leave Bartlesville because I love Bartlesville and I love this community," Claussen said Thursday. "But the opportunity to serve students across the state at that level was an incredible one that I didn't feel I could pass up."

BPS will start the hiring process for a new band director soon as Claussen’s new position begins July 1, the news release said.

Claussen has been in Bartlesville for 14 years and has 26 total years in education. He currently serves as the director of bands, instrumental music supervisor and fine arts chair. His career began in Duncan followed by Sapulpa. He also did two short stints with Cameron University in Duncan as the adjunct low brass instructor.

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Claussen’s bands have performed in Austria, Germany, Hawaii, Ireland and Italy, and he has served as the band coordinator for the Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music (OAM) since 2003. The OAM tours seven countries, performing concerts in the summer, and represents some of the best band and choral students across the state.

His many honors and awards include National Board Certification (since 2010), 2016 Outstanding Band Director of the Year (Oklahoma Bandmasters Association) and the 2013 Exemplary Teacher Award (Oklahoma Music Educators Association).

Claussen’s wife, Amitia, was named the 2019 Teacher of the Year for Wayside Elementary. They have two daughters: Abbie, a sophomore elementary music education major at the University of Central Oklahoma, and Katie, a BHS freshman who plays trumpet in the band.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville High School band director to lead OSSAA fine arts role