FACULTY
We are proud to have highly qualified and educated musicians who are passionate about sharing their knowledge with students. Our faculty members bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and fun to the classroom, ensuring that our students receive the best possible education in music.
Mr. Christopher Banks, Director
Christopher S. Banks began his career in music education at LaVilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida in 2004. He is privileged to serve as one of the three instrumental music faculty members at LaVilla, collaborating closely with Mrs. Heather Davidson and Mr. Tyler Dunn across all aspects of the program. Within this role, he holds specific responsibilities for the Jazz, Chamber Music, and Percussion programs. In 2021, Mr. Banks was honored with the Gladys Prior Teacher of Excellence Award, a prestigious recognition known for its significant monetary award and bestowed based on recommendations from former students and notable teaching achievements. Mr. Banks pursued his passion for music at Georgia State University, where he majored in Trombone Performance with an early focus on music education and performance. Following intensive studies with members of esteemed orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony and the Chicago Symphony, he relocated to New York to attend The Juilliard School as a Gluck Fellowship recipient. There, he earned a Performance Certificate in Bass Trombone (‘91) under the mentorship of Mr. Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic. During his time in New York, Mr. Banks had the privilege of studying with distinguished artists from a variety of renowned orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Empire Brass Quintet, and American Brass Quintet. His professional journey as a bass trombonist encompasses recordings and live performances with esteemed groups such as the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, St. Luke’s Orchestra, American Brass Quintet, Meridian Arts Ensemble, and Brooklyn Symphony, among others. Noteworthy achievements as a chamber musician include being a member of the Equali Trombone Quartet and the Avalon Brass Quintet, which secured victory in the 1990 New York Brass Conference Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Banks has also enjoyed extended engagements with prestigious ensembles like the Minnesota Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Burning River Brass Ensemble. In 1991, Mr. Banks secured an appointment with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, where he contributed to performances and recordings with the CSO Brass Quintet. Additionally, he has been featured as a soloist at the renowned Spoleto Music Festival. From 1994 to 2002, Mr. Banks held the Bass Trombone chair with the Jacksonville Symphony. Active within various professional organizations, Mr. Banks is a member of JEN, FBA, NafMe, and FMEA. He served as the Florida All-State Middle School Jazz Band coordinator from 2013 to 2016 and has undertaken numerous roles within FBA District 17, demonstrating his commitment to music education and advocacy throughout his career.
Mr. Tyler Dunn, Director
Mr. Dunn joined LaVilla School of the Arts in 2022, where he currently conducts the Symphonic and Jazz Bands, and has previously co-taught the Wind Ensemble. Specializing in woodwind instruction, he brings extensive expertise and a passion for music education to his students. Mr. Dunn earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Michigan State University, majoring in flute and minoring in jazz, with a focus on tenor saxophone. During his time at Michigan State, he was a five-year member of the alto saxophone section in the Michigan State Marching Band, an active member of the flute studio under Professor Richard Sherman, and a performer in various concert bands and jazz ensembles directed by Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, and Rodney Whitaker. He also holds a Master of Music Education from Florida State University. Before joining LaVilla, Mr. Dunn served as an Associate Band Director at Oakleaf Junior High School in Florida for seven years. His tenure there was marked by numerous accolades, including the Linda Mann 5 Year Superior Award for Concert Band and the 5 Year Superior Award for Jazz from the Florida Bandmasters Association. Mr. Dunn is an active member of JEN, FBA, NafMe, and FMEA. In addition to his musical pursuits, he is a nationally ranked tennis player.
Mrs. Heather Davidson, Director
Mrs. Davidson has been a faculty member at LaVilla School of the Arts since 2022. She conducts the Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble and coaches the Chamber Ensembles. She has also conducted the Symphonic Band. Mrs. Davidson holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was the principal flute in the Grammy-nominated Wind Ensemble and the opera Lakmé. She was the co-principal flute of the Symphony Orchestra and an active member in chamber music and flute choir. During her time there, she performed under the direction of Dr. John Locke, past president of the American Bandmasters Association, and studied flute with Dr. Deborah Egekvist, Carla Copeland-Burns, and Reuben Councill. Before joining LaVilla, Mrs. Davidson taught middle school band in Chatham County, North Carolina, for four years, receiving the Fidelity FutureStage Grant. After relocating to Florida with her husband, she taught at Baker County Middle School for seven years, where she was named the 2019/2020 Teacher of the Year. Her students regularly participated in Solo and Ensemble events and honor bands, and she became the first director to achieve Superior Ratings at concert MPA. She also served as treasurer for the North Florida Honor Band and Secretary for District 4 of the Florida Bandmasters Association. Mrs. Davidson then taught middle school in Volusia County for two years, working as an assistant high school band director and serving as Chair for the Volusia County Middle School Honor Band. An active flutist, Mrs. Davidson performs with the First Coast Wind Symphony, First Coast Flute Choir, Florida Flute Teachers Orchestra, and Florida Flute Orchestra. She has presented and performed at the Florida Flute Convention twice. Mrs. Davidson is a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and Florida Flute Association.
Mr. Ulysses Owens Jr., Artist in Residence
Mr. Ulysses Owens Jr. visits LaVilla regularly to work with the Davis Street Jazz Band. Owens’s steadfast belief that “music is a universal language with the ability to heal the soul,” coupled with his commitment to disseminating art, is encapsulated no greater than in his lifelong career educating music’s next generation of leaders. Owen’s C.V. includes positions at music schools across New York City and countless speaking engagements hosted domestically and abroad. In 2016, Owens was invited by Wynton Marsalis and Aaron Flagg of the Juilliard School’s Jazz Studies Program, Owens’s alma mater, to join the institution’s esteemed faculty as an instructor for small ensembles. Despite spending the greater part of his calendar year on the road, Owens also remains tightly connected to his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida where his family founded Don’t Miss a Beat, Inc., a non-profit organization empowering young people to dream big and give back to their communities through a blend of musical, artistic, academic, and civic engagement programming. As DMAB Artistic Director, Owens has created programs for over 200 children and teens annually, including a cross-cultural exchange that allows students to experience art and culture abroad. Having had the fortune of dedicated mentors throughout his career, Owens’s interest in investing in young people’s education and self-esteem is a deeply personal cause and one essential to his vision of pushing art forward.
