Ken Sipley
Director of Fine Arts

Ken Sipley is the Director of Fine Arts.

In 2006, he was president of the Mississippi Community and Junior College Band Directors Association, and served as past president of that organization last year.

Known as a clinician and judge in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, Ungurait has also worked as a percussion instructor for several drum and bugle corps, and he served as the front ensemble instructor for the Arizona Sun Drum and Bugle Corps. In Mississippi he has worked as a consultant with high school bands in Pascagoula, Lumberton, Hernando, Oxford and Senatobia. He recently served as clinician for the Memphis City Schools Honor Band.

John Mixon
Assistant Band Director

Mixon came to Northwest from Oxford High School, where he spent 17 years as director of the band program. During his tenure, Oxford earned consistent superior ratings at concert and marching festivals throughout the southeast. Oxford's music department was recognized twice by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as a Grammy Signature School under his leadership.

Mixon, who has 28 years as a music educator, began his career teaching at Lee Academy in Clarksdale before moving to Grenada where he served as assistant band director for nine years. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from the University of Mississippi and has been recognized as Mississippi Band Director of the Year, Teacher of the Year for Oxford High School, and Star Teacher for Oxford High School. He was selected to direct the Mississippi All- State Band in 1998 and 1999 and was featured in the December 1999 issue of School Band and Orchestra Magazine as one of "50 Directors Who Make a Difference."

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London-Silas Shavers is Professor of Fine Arts and Coordinator of Woodwind Studies at Northwest Mississippi Community College.  In addition, he is an Endorsing Artist/Clinician for the Leblanc Division of Conn-Selmer, Inc and Backun Musical Products. 

In addition to his teaching, festival adjudication, and ensemble conducting throughout the Greater Memphis area, Professor Shavers performs often throughout the United States and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician, and is an active clarinet clinician, recitalist, and composer. 

He has been the featured soloist with the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, Valparaiso University Chamber Concert Band, Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra, Dyersburg State College Symphony Orchestra, University of Memphis Symphonic Band, Rhodes College Orchestra, and Northwest Mississippi Community College Wind Ensemble. 

He holds degrees from Valparaiso University (B.M.Ed), Western Michigan University, (M.Mus), and has completed additional graduate studies at the University of Memphis.  His principal clarinet teachers include Dave Tuttle, Karen Woodworth, Denise Chigas-Kirkland, Bradley Wong, and James Gholson.  London plays Leblanc Concerto II clarinets and mouthpieces, bells, and barrels made by master designer Morrie Backun.