Published November 17, 2015
Chelsea King, ULM music alumna (BME, 2006), was voted Best Band Director at the First
Annual Northeast Louisiana (NELA) Music Awards on November 12th at the Monroe Civic
Center.
Chelsea was honored earlier in that week as a Monroe City Schools Teacher of the Year. She
is Director of Bands at Neville High School in Monroe and played trumpet and percussion
in ULM's prestigious marching band, the Sound of Today, as an undergraduate.
The NELA Music Awards event is hosted by the Downtown Monroe Alliance, and it was
created to “honor and showcase the latest talents of the contemporary music scene
in NELA as well as surrounding areas including Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas.”
The show featured many local artists and entertainers. The award categories included
Jazz, High School Band, Collegiate band, Gospel Choir, Funk Band, R&B, Rap/Hip-Hop,
Rock, Country, Zydeco, Emerging artists, lifetime achievement, entertainer of the
year, Radio DJ, Party DJ, Male performer, Female performer, music teacher, cover band,
and more.
According to Dr. Derle Long, director of ULM’s School of Visual and Performing Arts,
“Chelsea has been a stabilizing force in the band program at Neville High School.
We are proud of her many accomplishments, including this people’s choice award.”
For more information about the NELA Music Awards, visit downtownmonroe.org/content/nela-music-awards.
