New Diana ISD

      

   Gary Fort
   Director of Bands

Mr. Fort is serving in his 6th year as Director of Bands for New Diana ISD.  He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and A Masters of Education from Stephen F. Austin State University.  He has taught for 44 years in East Texas where his bands have earned numerous recognitions and awards.  He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Association of Texas Small School Bands, and the National Association of Military Marching Bands. He is married to Faith Fort and they have three children and eight grandchildren. 

     

 

Lauren Warren graduated from New Diana High School in 2007, where she was very active in the Soarin' Band from Eagle Land. She realized after a few years that her first career path as a pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant was missing the fulfillment that only music can provide; so, she returned to school in 2015 to pursue a degree in music education. She attended Kilgore College where she was a member of the marching, jazz, and concert bands. While attending Kilgore she earned the honor of Distinguished Musician of 2017 and a seat in the Texas Community College State Band at the 2017 TMEA Convention. She then transferred to ETBU, where she was a member of the marching, jazz, basketball, and concert bands and the ETBU Flute Choir. She had the honor of performing in the pit orchestra of ETBU's production of A Christmas Carol as well as traveling to Austria with the ETBU Band and Choir for a Performance Tour in 2019. She also earned the title of Most Outstanding Band Student in 2019. She completed her student teaching at New Diana High School in 2020 under the direction of Gary Fort, and then she took time off after the birth of her son. She is most excited to return to the classroom to make an impact in the lives of her students in the same way that all of her former band directors have.

Lauren lives in Diana with her husband, Herb, and young son, Archer (a future percussionist!).