Band Directors

Justin Allen has served as Director of Bands at Galena Park Middle School since fall of 2016. He directs the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, teaches beginner woodwinds, and assists in teaching Symphonic Band. In his first year as director, the Wind Ensemble made campus history by being the first band at GPMS to earn a varsity-level sweepstakes at UIL. Since then they have continuously earned sweepstakes at UIL and earned several honors. In 2024 the GPMS Wind Ensemble made district history by being the first band in GPISD to advance to state in the prestigious TMEA Honor Band process. In both 2025 and 2026 the GPMS Wind Ensemble earned "Best in Class" at Gator Music Festival. 

Prior to joining GPISD, Mr. Allen taught at Lake Olympia Middle School in Fort Bend ISD. During his three years there his students earned several awards at UIL and Director's Choice competitions. During his time in Fort Bend he served as the director of the Rosenberg Symphonic Band, a local community ensemble. 

Mr. Allen earned both his B.M. in Music Education and his M.M. in Conducting from Stephen F. Austin State University. During his graduate studies he worked as a teaching assistant for both the band and music history departments. He aided in marching band and pep band rehearsals, rehearsed and guest conducted all four concert bands, toured with the Orchestra of the Pines as a guest conductor, and directed various student-led chamber groups. While there he revived the Nacogdoches Community Band and served as its director for two years until he moved back to Houston. 

As a member of TMAA (Texas Music Adjudicators Association), Mr. Allen is an active adjudicator and clinician; he finds much joy in sharing music and helping others. 

While not teaching, Mr. Allen enjoys tending to his plants, reading, amateur astrophotography and painting, going down rabbit holes of learning random things, and hanging out with his two cats, Stormy and Voss. 

Angel Morales joined the GPMS Band team in Fall of 2024. His duties and responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Band, teaching all beginner brass classes, and assisting with Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. Under Mr. Morales' direction, the Symphonic Band earned "Best in Class" at Gator Music Festival in 2025. 

As an active performer, Mr. Morales enjoys playing horn with many bands, orchestras, and chamber groups in the greater Houston area. The ensembles he has contributed to include the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra, Conroe Symphony Orchestra, Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, Houston Civic Symphony, Baytown Symphony Orchestra, The Woodlands Concert Band, Spring ISD Alumni Band, Sugar Land Winds, Fort Bend Brass, and Texas Brass. As an avid performer Mr. Morales has repeatedly performed at the Midwest Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Bandmasters Association on multiple occasions. 

While earning his Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Sam Houston State University, he was a dual member of the SHSU Wind Ensemble and the SHSU Symphony Orchestra in addition to being a section leader for the mellophones in the Bearkat Marching Band. Mr. Morales has taught private lessons and masterclasses for Aldine ISD, Willis ISD, Huntsville ISD, Spring ISD, Galena Park ISD, Magnolia ISD and Conroe ISD. Many of his students were successful at Region Band/Region Orchestra auditions, some even gaining acceptance into the American Festival For the Arts. Mr. Morales has a passion for empowering young musicians. 

When Mr. Morales isn’t worried about music, you can find him playing soccer with his friends or hanging out with his cat Sammy and his brother’s cat Zuko.

A native Houstonian, Love Bennett has been involved in music education for over 15 years. After aging out of drum corps and indoor percussion, Bennett would go on to study percussion and jazz at Concord University under world-renowned percussionist and composer Casey Cangelosi and Director of Bands David Ball. They would also continue their music studies here in Houston, focusing on music composition at Lone Star College - Montgomery under the tutelage of Martin Quiroga and the late Christina Padilla Mendoza.

Between their studies, Bennett has maintained a variety of teaching roles, including a small private lesson studio, nearly a decade of experience both teaching and coordinating between the Seattle Cascades and The Guardians Drum and Bugles Corps, and a wide breadth of school programs. They started and operate (whole note design), a company through which Bennett offers design, consultation, and educational opportunities for pageantry arts programs across the country.

Most recently, Bennett has served as the Ensemble Coordinator for the Vigilantes Indoor Percussion program, competing under the world class division of WGI’s indoor percussion circuit. A former NASA engineer and cancer researcher, Bennett does their best to maintain a well-rounded life. In their free time, they enjoy cafe-hopping, PC gaming, rock climbing, motorcycling, and spending time with their cat Bunker Buster.