Our Partners and Middle Schools

Ms. Lauren Mascioli, Director

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Ms. Lauren Mascioli is the new orchestra director at Baines Middle School. She has taught middle school orchestra for the past seven years and is excited to join the FBISD family. Ms. Mascioli attended Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. Shortly after graduating, she relocated to Houston and we are thrilled to welcome her to the RPHS/RTMS/BMS orchestra team!

Mr. Benjamin Petree, Director

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Mr. Petree is the Director of Orchestras at Ronald Thornton Middle School. This program collaborates with the directors at Baines Middle School, Crawford High School, and Ridge Point High School to ensure that orchestra students in Sienna and surrounding areas have a meaningful and educational musical experience that creates a sense of community over the course of their seven years of learning from middle to high school.

 

Mr. Petree is originally from Plano, TX, where he fostered a love for music through the exceptional orchestra programs at Carpenter Middle School, Clark High School, and Plano Senior High School. The support and encouragement of his directors inspired him to pursue music at the University of Houston, where he studied Music Education and Composition. Mr. Petree credits his success to the mentorship of his teachers, including Mr. Wayne Brooks, Dr. Rob Smith, Dr. Erin Hansen and Maestro Franz Krager. The positive impact of music on his life is what ultimately led him to pursue a career in music education with the goal of giving back to his community and cultivating a healthy appreciation for the arts among young musicians.

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Ms. Karen Lo

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Ms. Lo is the new long-term sub for the RTMS Orchestra Program. She received her Bachelor of Music in Voice with electives in Music Education from the University of Houston. She studied under the tutelage of Dr. Betsy Cook Weber and has performed with various choral and acapella groups such as UH's Soundscape, Rhapsody, Acabellas, and Ardore. In May 2023,
she performed with the UH Concert Chorale at the Cantarode International Choral Festival in Kerkrade, Netherlands, earning third place. Ms. Lo plays violin and viola and is currently a member of her church's worship team as a vocalist and instrumentalist.