Middle School Directors
While we share a lot of staff between campuses and team teach throughout the day, the following are primarily middle school directors.
Click here to read about the high school band staff.
Bojan Gutic
Bojan Gutic (Boy-en Goo-Tick) is in his ninth year of teaching at Argyle Middle School and his first year as the head middle school band director. His teaching responsibilities include Honor Winds, Concert Band, and beginner Clarinet, Saxophone, and Euphonium classes as well as assisting with the Symphonic Band. During the fall, Mr. Gutic also assists with the marching band at Argyle High School.
In 2021, the Argyle Middle School Symphonic Band under the direction of Mr. Gutic was the first non-varsity band in the history of the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series contest to have a recording selected as a winner and published. They were also a winner of the Citation of Excellence the same year, marking them as one of the top non-varsity bands in the state.
Bands under the direction of Mr. Gutic have consistently received UIL Sweepstakes Awards and advanced to the area and state levels of the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series competition. The Argyle Middle School Symphonic Band has been named both a citation winner and commended winner by the Foundation for Music Education under Mr. Gutic’s direction.
Mr. Gutic earned his Master’s Degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, studying with Dr. Sarah Allen, Frank Troyka, and Lynne Jackson. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor’s degree of Music Education from Texas Christian University, where he graduated Cum Laude while studying clarinet with Gary Whitman. While at TCU, Mr. Gutic performed in the TCU Wind Symphony under the direction of Bobby Francis, the TCU Symphonic Band and Marching band under the direction of Brian Youngblood, and the TCU Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble under the direction of Richard Murrow.
Mr. Gutic's professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, and the International Clarinet Association. Mr. Gutic lives in Northlake with his puppy, Boba Fett.
Marlie Cote
Marlie Cote is in her first year in Argyle ISD as the Assistant Band Director at Argyle Middle School. Mrs. Cote’s teaching responsibilities include beginner flute, oboe/bassoon classes, and the Symphonic Band. In addition, she assists the beginner clarinet class, Concert Band, and Honor Winds.
Mrs. Cote is a native Texan who began her band journey in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area at L.D. Bell
High School in Hurst. During her time at Bell, she learned from master teachers, Joe and Cathy
Grzybowski; she also played flute/piccolo and served as drum major. Mrs. Cote holds a Bachelor of
Music Education degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, where she studied under Fred J.
Allen, Helen Blackburn, and Dr. Kevin Sedatole. "Axe 'em Jacks!"
Mrs. Cote began her career teaching middle school band and has worked in Lewisville ISD,
Mansfield ISD, and Coppell ISD. Mrs. Cote is honored to have worked with and learned from
esteemed band directors such as Jolette Wine, Steve Seibert, Kathy Johnson, Mike Brown, Chris
Meredith, and Rusty Gray. During her nine years teaching middle school, her bands earned UIL
“Sweepstakes” awards as well as “Superior” awards at many band festivals and contests. Mrs. Cote
also spent nine years as a private flute instructor and has seven years’ experience teaching
elementary school music, most recently as an elementary music teacher in Lewisville ISD, where
she earned “Teacher of the Year” in 2018.
Mrs. Cote is an active judge and sectional instructor for various band programs in the D/FW area.
Mrs. Cote is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and
The Texas Flute Society.
Mrs. Cote resides in Flower Mound with her husband Russell, who is Director of Bands at McKamy
MS, and their two teenage sons, Ian and Braden. In her free time, she enjoys attending live performances, performing in flute choirs, attending her son’s basketball games, and spending time with family and friends.
Email Mrs. Cote
James McNair
James McNair’s is in his 13th year with Argyle Band Staff and his 26th year as a music educator. Mr. McNair teaches 6th grade beginner brass classes and assists with the Argyle High School Marching Band and the Middle School Varsity and Non-Varsity Bands.
Mr. McNair’s experience as a musician and music educator over the past 30 years is as vast as it is varied ranging from military musician to middle school band director to elementary music teacher to private lesson teacher to college professor. Mr. McNair served as Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education at Texas Christian University from 2005-2008. Previous to this appointment at TCU, Mr. McNair taught for ten years in some of the country’s finest band programs including Lake Highlands High School, The Colony High School and Cross Timbers Middle School. Mr. McNair is an active clinician, consultant, and adjudicator throughout the state and has been a clinician for the Texas Music Educators Convention and Texas Bandmasters Conventions in San Antonio.
Mr. McNair is a former member of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. where he performed regularly at the White House for the President of the United States, on many Marine Band recordings, and on national tours. Mr. McNair is also in high demand as one of the most versatile freelance trombonists in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. He performs regularly with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Garland/Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Winds, and Imperial Brass. As a soloist, he has performed with the Dallas Winds, twice at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and once at TMEA. Mr. McNair is a two-time winner of the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Classical Solo Competition in Washington, D.C.
Mr. McNair has maintained a private trombone studio throughout his career and has had multiple students make various All-State groups at TMEA. Students of Mr. McNair have been accepted to Texas A&M University-Commerce, SMU, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. McNair was recognized at the 2016 TCU Trombone Summit and presented the “Unsung Hero Award” for his contributions to the trombone community through teaching and performance. Also in 2016, he was named Teacher of the Year for Argyle Intermediate School.
Mr. McNair earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from East Texas State University where his primary teachers were Dr. Neill Humfeld, Jim Clark, and Ed Jones. He also earned a Master of Music in trombone performance from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Email Mr. McNair
Robert houpe
Mr. Houpe will be serving as the assistant percussion coordinator for Argyle ISD. Mr. Houpe is in his 13th year of teaching and his 1st year as the Assistant Percussion Director for Argyle ISD where he works with all percussion students in the Argyle Band Program grades 6-12. He has previously been percussion director at Wylie East High School, and prior to that was a full-time percussion specialist teacher in Frisco ISD focusing on 6th-8th grade percussion at Fowler and Scoggins middle schools. Mr. Houpe has been a private lesson teacher for Argyle ISD, Coppell ISD, Frisco ISD, and Lewisville ISD.
Mr. Houpe received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from UNT, graduating as a distinguished honors scholar, and holds a Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Northern Illinois University. He has studied a wide variety of percussion instruments and styles with teachers including Christopher Deane, Paul Rennick, Dr. Robert Schietroma, Robert Chappell, and Dr. Greg Beyer. He has experience in all areas of percussion performance and teaching.
Mr. Houpe was a member of the Champion UNT Indoor Drumline in 2002 and 2005. He was a member of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps in 2003 and 2004. Mr. Houpe was the Second Place Winner in the 2006 PAS Composition Contest and a featured performer in “John Cage’s Music Circus 2007” at the Chicago Cultural Center. In 2008 Mr. Houpe received the Thomas Siwe PASIC Scholarship and the Howard Johnston Award for Graduate Student Travel, a grant enabling him to travel to San Jose, Costa Rica to perform with NIU and present a master class at the International Festival of Percussion Ensembles.
In 2013 Mr. Houpe led the percussion section of the Fowler Symphony Honor Orchestra performing at TMEA. While at Wylie East High School, Mr. Houpe prepared students for multiple national festival performances including National Concert Band Festival Music for All Indianapolis and Western International Band Clinic in Seattle. In 2019, the Wylie East Band was a UIL State Finals Marching Band competitor.
Mr. Houpe lives in the Dallas area with his wife Katie and two awesome powerful daughters, Margaret and Maeve.
Erica King
