Blanchard Bands
Jenn Kauffman
Jenn Kauffman currently serves as the head director in Blanchard, Oklahoma. She has held this position since 2006. Jenn started her career in 2003 in Maysville, Oklahoma where her band was recognized with the OSSAA Sweepstakes Award in her third year, the only class A school that year to earn this prestigious award. Since teaching in Blanchard, the bands have maintained a reputation of excellence and earned many achievements including OSSAA Sweepstakes Awards, OBA Finalist designations, Distinguished Academic Achievement Awards, and performed as an OkMEA Honor Group. Her bands have performed across the country in Orlando, Seattle, Washington DC, and New York City. While achievements and awards are important, her hope is that all of her students will leave the Blanchard Band program loving music and being good human beings.
Jenn has been the president of the South Central Oklahoma Band Directors Association, the Southwestern Oklahoma Band Directors Association, the band division of the Oklahoma Music Adjudicators Association, twice presided over the Oklahoma Small School Band Directors Association, has served on the OkMEA All-State Band Committee and been the OkMEA Band Vice President. She was the treasurer of the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association from 2010-2015 and served as president in 2016-2017. She is currently the secretary/treasurer of the Southwestern Oklahoma Band Directors Association and the Executive Secretary of the Oklahoma Small Schools Band Directors Association. Jenn was honored to be chosen as the 2021 OBA Band Director of the Year and as an OkMEA Exemplary Teacher in 2024. She is also passionate about mentoring young directors and regularly invites student teachers into the Blanchard band room.
Jenn is a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma where she had the great fortune of being taught by Mr. Gene Thrailkill and Dr. Michael Raiber.
Jenn and her husband Trey live in Tuttle with their cats, Sam, Sunny, and Sherbert. They enjoy traveling, especially to visit their nieces, Madelyn and Olivia, the lights of their lives.
Kara VanVickle
Kara VanVickle is the assistant band director at Blanchard. She previously taught elementary general music for 3 years, her first year in the Orlando, Florida area and 2 years in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2018, Kara also taught at El Sistema Oklahoma as the high school trumpet teacher. She graduated from Shawnee High School in Shawnee, OK and went on to earn a Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Oklahoma in 2015. Kara also spent time pursuing a Masters in Music for trumpet performance at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida from 2015-2016.
As a trumpeter, Kara has had the privilege to perform in many locations across the country with appearances at the 2013 and 2014 National Trumpet Competition and with the University of South Florida Wind Ensemble in Charleston, South Carolina for the 2016 Southeastern Conference of the College Band Director’s National Association.
Outside of music, Kara’s hobbies include taking adventurous backpacking trips with her husband, Jared, and trying to achieve their goal of traveling to every National Park in the United States. When she’s not traveling or teaching, Kara also enjoys spending time with her three adorable cats, Sandy, Patrick, and Winston.
Tyler Romine
Tyler Romine has been the Percussion Director at Blanchard since 2022. He obtained his BM and MM degrees in Percussion Performance from the University of Oklahoma between 2007 and 2013 and has 9 years of teaching experience.
Tyler is also an active performer, providing drums and vocals for a variety of local and touring artists including Baileyboy, Jared Deck, LETR, and Megan Marlene. In the unlikely event that he has free time, he enjoys hiking, swimming, and attending live music events.
Amy Stone
Amy is our guard sponsor and a Blanchard Band mom. She is graduate from McLoud High School, where she was a 5 year member of color guard and played the flute for 7 years. She has a degree in education and currently teaches 2nd grade at Blanchard Elementary. Before moving to second grade she spent 9 years in pre-k, 4 as a teacher and 5 as a teaching assistant. In her free time she enjoys traveling, listening to music, baking, and spending time with her family.
Emily Wolf
Emily Wolf is our newest staff member and will be working with our guard. She is a Mechanical Engineering Student at the University of Oklahoma. She is originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, where she was in Orchestra for 11 years playing the viola, Band for 5 years as a Clarinet and Contrabass Clarinet player, and guard for four. At the University of Oklahoma, she participates in the Pride of Oklahoma with the guard, adding four more years of experience, and was a captain for two of those years.