Tim Hendrix, Director of Bands

Timothy Hendrix, Director of Bands at Bentonville High School is in his 15th year of teaching and 6th year as the Director of Bands at Bentonville High School. Mr. Hendrix conducts the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and oversees the Bentonville PRIDE Marching Band. Mr. Hendrix has also taught at Jonesboro High School, Paragould High School, and Stuttgart Junior High School.

Mr. Hendrix’s bands have received wide acclaim for their sensitivity and creativity on stage. The Bentonville High School Wind Ensemble was a participant in the 2019 National Concert Band Festival as a Premiere Ensemble where they were the first high school to perform James M. Stephenson’s Symphony No.2 “Voices”. In 2022 and 2024 the Bentonville Wind Ensemble was selected as the ASBOA Class 7A State Honor Band

The Bentonville PRIDE Marching Band is a Bands of America 10-time Super-Regional Finalist and Medalist, a 3-time Grand Nationals Semi-Finalist, (2016,2018,2023) a Grand National Champion Finalist (2023), and a 6-time (5 Consecutive) Arkansas 7A State Marching Champion. In 2023 the Bentonville Pride Marching Band was named a Sudler Shield Award Winner.

Mr. Hendrix has been awarded the Bentonville High School Fine Arts Teacher of the Year (2017), Phi Beta Mu Arkansas Young Director of the Year Award(2015), and the Region 8, Teacher of the Year (2013). He is a member of the Arkansas Bandmasters Association, ASBOA, and Phi Beta Mu.

Mr. Hendrix holds a Bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education and a Master’s in Education from Arkansas State University.

Mr. Hendrix served as a French Horn Instrumentalist in the United States Navy Band, Station in Pearl Harbor before becoming a music educator. He is married to Nakeli Hendrix and they have two children, Sophia and Dean.

Philip Shewmaker, ASSOCIATE DIR OF BANDS

Philip Shewmaker received his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Central Arkansas in 2010. Since that time Mr. Shewmaker has been active as a music educator in the state of Arkansas. Prior to his position as associate director of bands in Bentonville he has served as a band director at Southside Bee Branch Schools, Booneville Schools, and Batesville High School. Under his direction, the band programs enjoyed growth and consistent superior ratings.

At Bentonville, Mr. Shewmaker directs the Symphonic Winds, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. Under his direction, these ensembles have enjoyed continued success. In April of 2021, the Bentonville Jazz Band was named the winner of the Basically Basie Competition.

Mr. Shewmaker was the 2020 Bentonville High School Fine Arts Teacher of the Year and the 2017 Rotary Club Teacher of the Year.  

When not working with bands Mr. Shewmaker loves to spend time with his family. His wife Sally and two daughters Emma and Amelia always make life fun and interesting. 

NICK FERNANDEZ, Director of Percussion

Nicholas Fernandez has been the director of percussion at Bentonville since 2012.

Previously, he served as the director of percussion at Owasso Public Schools in Owasso, Oklahoma in 2011. Before stepping into public education, Mr. Fernandez taught percussion in different capacities at Fayetteville HS and Sigler Music Center in Arkansas, as well as Coweta HS, Holland Hall HS, and Drum World in the Tulsa area. Mr. Fernandez also performed in several symphonies, jazz combos, percussion ensembles, and rock bands during this time in the Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas areas. He was also previously a member of the Colts drum and bugle corps in DCI.

Mr. Fernandez teaches percussion classes from 6th grade through 12th and oversees the overall percussion program at Bentonville Schools. Through the comprehensive percussion program at Bentonville, a number of students are consistently selected for all-region band, all-state band, drum corps, and notable university music schools. The Bentonville HS Percussion Ensemble is a regular performer at the University of Arkansas Day of Percussion and continues to help spearhead the relevance of percussion in Arkansas.

The Bentonville High School Percussion Ensemble was selected as a 2019 Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Ensemble Premiere Ensemble.

Mr. Fernandez is also an avid mountain biker and continues to enjoy the process of progression through that activity.