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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Keith Markuson is retiring as director of the Klein |
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High School Orchestra at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, |
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concluding an exemplary career that has spanned nearly four |
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decades; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Markuson's passion for music was first sparked |
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at an early age, when he repeatedly listened to recordings of |
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Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite and other classical |
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masterpieces; he played clarinet and percussion in his school's |
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band and went on to graduate cum laude with a bachelor's degree in |
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music education from the University of Houston in 1976; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Markuson began his career in education as an |
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assistant band director at Frank M. Black Junior High School in |
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Houston and subsequently became the school's orchestra conductor; |
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he later worked as an assistant for the Hildebrandt Intermediate |
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School Orchestra before assuming the role of director, and under |
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his guidance, the program twice earned the title of Texas Music |
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Educators Association Junior High String Honor Orchestra; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1989, Mr. Markuson was hired as the director of |
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the Klein High School Orchestra; over the course of his 26-year |
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tenure, the ensemble has grown from 30 to 180 members and has been |
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named four times as the TMEA High School Full Honor Orchestra; |
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moreover, the group has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and |
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at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago; above all, Mr. Markuson has |
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remained dedicated to instilling in his students a love of music and |
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a commitment to excellence, instructing a before-school elementary |
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program and after-school orchestra and symphony rehearsals and |
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sectionals in addition to his teaching schedule of five classes a |
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day; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Markuson has enjoyed |
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the love and support of his wife, Dodie, and his daughter, Hillary |
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Moore; and |
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WHEREAS, Countless Klein High School Orchestra alumni |
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treasure the musical education they received and the life lessons |
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they learned from a director who always challenged and inspired |
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them to do their very best, and it is a pleasure to commend Keith |
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Markuson for his longtime service and immeasurable contributions to |
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the Klein Independent School District; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Keith Markuson on his retirement as |
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director of the Klein High School Orchestra and extend to him |
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sincere best wishes for continued happiness and fulfillment; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Markuson as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |