S15: E269 Preparing for Success: Clint Hardy’s Back-to-School Teaching Strategies
Follow Clint:
Instagram - @choirwithclint
Twitter - @tsms.choirs
Meet Clint: Clinton Ray Hardy is in his fifteenth year of directing choral music, and is the head choral director at Trinity Springs Middle School in Keller ISD. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Texas Christian University and earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas.
At Trinity Springs, Mr. Hardy directs seven choirs and serves as the head of the fine arts department. His choirs consistently have earned Sweepstakes awards for superior ratings at the yearly University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. Mr. Hardy’s Varsity Treble Choir was invited to perform at this past year’s 2023 Texas Music Educators Association Convention. Previous to this, his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the 2022 Southwestern American Choral Directors Association Convention, his Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir performed at the 2021 National American Choral Directors Association Convention. In addition, his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and in 2018 his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the MS/JH National Cambiata Institute Convention. The Keller Honor Choir, under the co-direction of Clinton Hardy, performed in the elementary division for the 2017 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and in 2014 his Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir was invited to perform at the MS/JH National Cambiata Institute Convention.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Hardy currently serves as the National ACDA JH/MS R&R Chair. He also currently serves as the TMEA Region 30 MS/JH Secretary. Mr. Hardy is frequently requested to be a clinician/conductor for All-City, All-Region, and All-State Choirs. He is an adjudicator for UIL Concert and Sight-Reading contests throughout the state and is a judge for Solo and Ensemble contests in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Choral Directors Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association.
He is proud to have had 120 students selected for the TCDA All-State Choir and 663 Middle School All-Region Choir members selected during his thirteen years of teaching. Mr. Hardy has been named Teacher of the Year three times in teaching career. The first happened in 2013-2014 for Linda Jobe Middle School in Mansfield ISD, and the second and third were at Trinity Springs MS for the 2016-2017 and the 2020-2021 school years. In 2014 he was awarded the TCDA Young Director of Distinction Award.
He strives to first teach his students how to be the best humans possible and then to be excellent musicians.