Gilbert Cuellar is enjoying his twenty-fourth year  in the music education profession and is the Head Band Director at Clark Middle School in Laredo, TX. High standards and unshakable belief in the ability to learn have yielded impressive results for the Clark Middle School Band Program with massive growth and incredible success. 

Since 1997, CMS bands under Mr. Cuellar’s leadership have earned consistent and numerous UIL Sweepstakes awards, as well as several Superior Performance Awards, Excellence Performance Awards, Best-in-Class awards, and Best-in-Entire Festival Awards at festivals and national competitions across Texas. In TMEA Honor Band Competition, his bands have passed the Region level on 6 different occasions, and ranking high at Area Level; twice placing alternate to advance to the State Level. Other accolades include the following: Invited several times to perform at a San Antonio Spurs game on the court and around the arena, winning the People’s Choice Award for best marching band at the W.B.C.A.Parade and The Clark Middle School Mariachi Del Norte opening for The Lonely Boys concert, performing at the Laredo Mayor’s State of the City Address, the UISD League of Legends Banquet, UISD Year’s of Service Banquet, and several Veteran’s Day events throughout Laredo. 

Several students that have received their musical start in The Clark Middle School Band Program have gone on to pursue a career in Music Education. Currently in Laredo, Tx there are four band directors teaching that are a product of Mr. Cuellar’s music program. In addition, numerous former CMS Band students are teaching music all across Texas; with young musicians already showing an interest in a music career. 

Mr. Cuellar was nominated four times for the Golden Apple Award and Teacher-of-the-Year Award which he won both awards twice 2006 and 2011. In 2010 and 2017 Mr. Cuellar was nominated for the Laredo Chamber of Commerce School Bell Award, which he won the award in 2017 - middle school Level. 

Mr. Cuellar holds a Bachelors of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Masters of Science in Educational Administration from Texas A&M International University. During this time prior to becoming an educator, Mr. Cuellar was an active member of the U.T.S.A. Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Lab Band, Jazz Band, and a member of the high-energy Roadrunner Basketball Band. While at T.A.M.I.U, Mr. Cuellar won the prestigious Educational Dean’s List Award.  Mr. Cuellar is affiliated with T.M.E.A., T.B.A., T.M.A.A., U.T.S.A. and T.A.M.I.U. Alumni & Mu Beta Sigma. Nevertheless, his greatest accomplishments are being married to his beautiful wife and his two children, Cadence and Liam. 

“I take 60 13-14 year olds and get them each to play up to 400 notes, blend, balance and in tune, together at the exact same time, creating beautiful sounds to express the passion of a composer they never met, while making their parents tear with pride and joy.” THAT’S MY SUPER POWER.