Cynthia Lansford is a 1976 graduate of Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She also earned a master degree in Educational Administration from East Texas State University. During her 30 years of teaching, Ms. Lansford taught at both the middle school and high school levels.

Bands under Ms. Lansford’s direction enjoyed much success at contests and festivals, and have consistently received recognition at the state level. Ms. Lansford was named "Teacher of the Year" both at Carpenter Middle School (Plano I. S. D.) and North Ridge Middle School (Birdville I. S. D.).

In 2004 the North Ridge Band was awarded the prestigious Sudler Cup award presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to outstanding middle school bands. In addition the North Ridge Honors Band performed at the Fifty-Ninth Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2005.

Ms. Lansford recently retired from public school teaching; she is currently doing freelance work as a music education consultant/ clinician as well as judging contests and festivals. She is a member of Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and Phi Beta Mu. She served on the Texas U. I. L. Prescribed Music List selection committee.

Ms. Lansford resides in Keller with her husband, Gary Whitman, professor of clarinet at Texas Christian University and bass clarinetist with the Fort Worth Symphony, and their 14 year old basset hound.

James Smith