Forest High School Band Program

   Robert "Bob" Allen is a graduate of the University of Florida and played the trumpet. He began his teaching career at Stuart Jr. High in Jacksonville, Fl in 1973. He taught at Orange Park High School from 1977-1983. 

 

   Mr. Allen took over at Forest High School at the beginning of the 1983 school year, succeeding Mr. David Fritz. During his time, though the band enrollment was smaller, the camaraderie of the band grew and the students during this time remain good friends to this day. Mr. Allen took over during a time of difficulty in the middle school programs with the introduction of the "elective wheel", which took students out of the middle school band classes in an effort to give them a greater variety of experiences. He worked diligently to try to grow the program against increasingly difficult odds.  One of his students, Jason Duckett, would later enter into music education, citing Mr. Allen as one of his biggest supporters and inspirations, and would eventually be elected President of the Florida Bandmasters Association.

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   After three years at FHS, Mr. Allen moved on to Citrus High School where he remained from 1986 until 1998, making his final move to Fort King Middle School that year. Mr. Allen was elected FBA District 19 Chairman in 2000. He retired from Fort King Middle in 2002. He remained an active adjudicator and FBA member.

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