Band Director
Catchie began her musical career when her big sis, Paula, began teaching her how to play the clarinet in their grandparents “summer kitchen” in a small town called Fernvale, TN, which is southwest of Nashville. “Paula was a dedicated teacher, even, back then. She wouldn’t let me go to the local swimming hole until I could play my “lesson” for that day! There were many a day I didn’t get to go swimming!” states Ms. “C.” }:^\
Carol Catherine “Catchie” Crider is a 1969 graduate of Bay High School. (At the time was called Bay Sr. High School) She was the tiger mascot for 3 years and learned to play the oboe when she was in 9th grade. She attended Pearl River Community College from 1969, several weeks after Hurricane Camille “visited” Mississippi, until 1971. Then attended Delta State University and graduated in 1974.
Teaching Career:
Professional Organizations:
Crider is a member of the National Band Director’s Association, Mississippi Band Master’s Association, Gulf Coast Band Director’s Association, American Federation of Teachers, The National Federation of Interscholastic Music Association, Charter Member of Mu Phi Epsilon Music Sorority (Delta State College) and recently was inducted into the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Ms. Crider has served as President of the Mississippi Woman Band Director’s Association and served as secretary-treasurer, as well.
Crider has been nominated, by former students, numerous times, for Who’s Who among American High School Teachers and has been nominated for the 2007 school year by Cory Stringer, a former “Tiger Pride” band member and a 2007 Bay High graduate.
Ms. Crider was chosen as “Teacher of the Year” for Bay High School during the 1999-2000 school by her peers. She was selected as “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” 2000 by the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club and by Wal-Mart Corporation, in 2001.
Ms. Crider was chosen as Bay High’s Star Teacher by the 2004 Star Student and Bay High’s 2004 Valedictorian, Tara Atwell.
In 2005, Ms. Crider was voted as “Most Outstanding Band Director” by the Gulf Coast Band Director’s Association.
Ms. Crider is beginning her 12th year at Bay High School and her twenty-ninth year as a band director. Under Ms. Crider’s direction, her bands have received All-Superior ratings in Marching Band, Concert Band and Jazz Band on, both, local and state level.
Dance Team Instructor
This is my 7th year teaching dance in the Bay Waveland school district. I teach 6th through 12th grade dance at Bay Middle & Bay High School. I started dancing at the age of 8 from my mom at Slidell School of Dance. She currently is the owner and dance teacher at Centerstage Dance & Performing Arts here in Bay St. Louis. My mother has been my only dance instructor throughout my dance career. I studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop and lyrical. I have received numerous dance scholarships to Chicago and New York in order to study at Steps on Broadway and at Dupree. I have taken many classes from professionals and traveled the country competing. I started choreographing my own dances at the age of 14. At 16, I won the Overall Choreography Award for a lyrical number I choreographed and performed in. I have won many national championships throughout my competitive years and have also danced professionally along the coast at different casinos.
I began my dance team career at Boyet Junior High school in 6th grade and went onto become a Silverbelle at Northshore High School. I studied dance at Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana during the first years in college. I have a degree in Health Science and am certified in x-ray and nuclear medicine. I currently still work at Hancock Medical Center in the Nuclear Medicine department, but took the opportunity to teach what I am so passionate about, DANCE!
Currently all of my seniors are dancing on scholarship in college at Ole Miss, USM, PRC and Perk. I hope to have all of my girls receive dance scholarships to pursue their educations. We are currently the MHSAA 4A state pom champions and have been for the last 3 years. We also hold the Mississippi American All Star Choreography award and Overall Sweepstakes Champions. I currently teach over 120 students and direct 2 dance recitals per school year.
I am most proud of being a mother to two beautiful girls and a wife to a supportive husband. Without my family by my side I would not be the person I am today.
Guard Sponsor
This is Mrs. Liz Cain's first official year as color guard sponsor. She has taught English at Bay High School for 4 years and is beginning her fifth year this year. This is her seventh year teaching. Liz graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in May of 2001. Go Eagles! There, she double majored in English and Spanish secondary Education. While attending USM, Liz took a great opportunity to study abroad for a summer. She studied Spanish language and culture at the school, Cemanahuac in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She lived with a Mexican family and learned to be almost fluent in the language. Liz recommends studying abroad for everyone! After high school, Liz did not go directly to USM but to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston Campus. She earned a Liberal Arts, Associates Degree and twirled flag and rifle during the marching season and played clarinet during the concert season. All under the direction of Mr. David P. Dewitt. The high school that introduced band and color guard to Liz is Ocean Springs High School. There she played clarinet and was a color guard member and the color guard captain her senior year. Also while at OSHS, Liz played varsity softball and soccer, also as captain her senior year. Liz is a member of The American Federation of Teachers, the Alpah Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society, and now is a teacher-consultant for the Live Oak Writing Project, USM Gulf Coast Campus.
Associate Director
Mr. Gunsch is in his tenth year as a band director. He comes from Houston, TX where he taught in a school district of more than 94,000 students. He taught the past 7 years at Campbell Middle School where his bands received numerous Superior ratings at contest. Prior to teaching at Campbell, he taught for two years at Cypress Springs High School. Cy-Springs had more than 180 members and had three concerts bands as well as an indoor drum line, 2 winter guards, a jazz ensemble and marching band.
Mr. Gunsch attended the University of North Texas School of Music, one of the country’s most prestigious music school. While at the UNT, he primarily studied Jazz Arranging before getting a Music Education Degree. He also had the opportunity to study trumpet with the late Don “Jake” Jacoby, a world renown trumpet performer. He also studied with Frank Reed and Jay Saunders, formerly with the Stan Kenton Big Band.
Right after he graduated from High School in the mid-1980's, Mr. Gunsch marched four years of drum corps with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps from Casper, WY.
Mr. Gunsch is a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association and the Texas Music Educators Association.