Scotty Walker, Conductor
Scotty Walker began his teaching career in Eunice, Louisiana, where he later joined Lafayette Middle School before moving to Lafayette High School, where he taught for 33 years until his retirement. Upon his retirement and because the citizens of Lafayette have demonstrated that music and the arts are of the utmost importance to the vibrancy of the culture of the Acadiana region, June 3, 2023 was declared Scotty Walker Day by the Lafayette Consolidated Government in his honor. Recognizing that music education remained his true calling, he returned to the profession and currently serves as Director of Bands at Our Lady of Fatima School and St. Thomas More High School.
During his tenure at Lafayette High School, Mr. Walker built one of the most respected band programs in the region. Under his direction, the Symphonic Band performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City on six occasions. The ensemble earned the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence for its appearances at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, the All-South Conductors Conference, and the CBDNA Southern Division Conference in Jacksonville, Florida and Natchitoches, Louisiana. In 2015, the Symphonic Band received the prestigious Blue Ribbon National High School Award for Excellence from the National Band Association.
The Mighty Lion Marching Band also flourished under his leadership, participating in the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and earning 17 Louisiana Showcase of Marching Bands State Grand Championship titles. In 2011, the marching band was named Class AAA Grand National Champion by Bands of America in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mr. Walker’s achievements have been widely recognized. He received the Excellence in Education award from the Acadian Arts Council and the Louisiana Outstanding Bandmaster Award in 2002, 2009, and 2019 from Phi Beta Mu. In 2011, he was inducted into Bandworld’s Legion of Honor, sponsored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, and in 2017 he was inducted into the American Bandmasters Association. He joined the Louisiana Music Educators Association Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2022, he was named the United Way High School Teacher of the Year and was initiated as a National Arts Associate by Sigma Alpha Iota. In 2025, he was appointed conductor of the Lafayette Concert Band.
His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Southwest Louisiana Band Directors Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Louisiana Music Educators Association.
Mr. Walker has been married to his wife, Blanche, for 38 years.
Gerald J. Guilbeaux, Conductor Emeritus
A native of Carencro and alumnus of the University of Louisiana School of Music, Gerald Guilbeaux has guided the ensemble, comprised of dedicated adult volunteer musicians, through more than 200 performances during his tenure. His leadership includes appearances at two Association of Concert Bands' national conventions, the Louisiana Music Educators Association state conference, the National World War II Museum, and numerous venues throughout South Louisiana. He is the founding conductor of the Acadian Wind Symphony, a select wind ensemble performing concerts at special events in Acadiana.
Guilbeaux has earned a distinguished reputation nationally as an advocate for the adult community music movement, serving as Past-President of the Association of Concert Bands. He is both a member and conductor of Windjammers Unlimited, the Circus Music Historical Society, and has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts (AWAPA) by the National Band Association. His accolades include the 2021 Community Band Division of the American Prize in Conducting, and he is an associate member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He currently serves as Vice-President/Treasurer of the John Philip Sousa Foundation and as assistant conductor of that organization’s National Community Band.
Active in the community, he is a Life Member of the Lafayette Kiwanis Club, was the 2002 Kiwanian of the Year and is the recipient of the George F. Hixon Fellowship from Kiwanis International. After a successful thirty-eight year career as a State Farm Insurance Agent, he retired in 2018. Guilbeaux has served on the Board of Directors of Festival International, The UL Alumni Association and currently serves on the UL College of the Arts Dean’s Advisory Council.
In his formal announcement, Guilbeaux stated: “It has been my honor to serve as the conductor of the Lafayette Concert Band since October of 1993. Over the past 32 years, leading this remarkable organization has brought me immense fulfillment. I have made the decision to retire from my position as conductor following our October 12th concert and with the confirmation of the band’s Board of Directors, my dear friend Scotty Walker will become the seventh conductor of the Lafayette Concert Band.”