About Us

Our History

In 1999 Chris Lefebvre was an employee of Williams Music Co., one of the last two school band music stores in the Shreveport-Bossier area. The store’s owners, Sherry & Dave Hardin, were ready to retire, and Chris had a dream of continuing to provide band students with instruments, accessories and lessons. He agreed to buy Williams from the Hardins, and in February of 1999 the Band House was born. About a year later Chris had the opportunity to buy the only other band store in the area, Phillips Music Co., from its owner Gil Phillips. Needing capital, Chris partnered with Bill Causey. Bill was a distinguished band director of more than 30 years and led a very successful big band regionally as well. The Band House thrived under their leadership, opening a new location in Texarkana TX within a few years. In 2010, Chris decided to pursue other opportunities, and Bill and his wife Judy assumed full ownership. Bill’s son Chad Causey, also a band director in the Bossier City area, joined the Band House several years later, and worked closely with his father until Bill’s death in 2018. Chad has since expanded the Band House with the acquisition of Mckay Music Company. The Band House now includes four stores in Louisiana and Texas: the original location in Bossier City, Louisiana; the second store in Texarkana, Texas; and the McKay Music stores in Garland, Texas and Sulphur Springs, Texas.

The Band House is a product of musicians and Band Directors and our goal is to help musicians and band directors achieve the highest levels of success. We look forward to being part of a vital partnership with schools, band directors, and most importantly, band parents and their children for decades to come!

Founder: Bill Causey

Bill Causey was a lifelong musician and supporter of jazz music, creating and performing with top notch bands in and around Louisiana and Texas. His high school jazz bands won national awards, did performance tours of the United States, and was contracted to play for and extended week after performing at Disney World. He fronted the Bill Causey Jazz Orchestra and continue to teach and perform right up until he entered the hospital for the last time. After Bill’s death, Brian Clark spearheaded the creation of the Bill Causey Scholarship Fund. The Bill Causey Fund is a non-profit scholarship fund used to promote jazz education and jazz performance. The Foundation sponsors students to attend Jazz based camps and performances. If you have requests for the fund please send an email to BCFund@thebandhouse.com

Our Mission

The Band House offers a helping hand to area band programs whenever we can. Owners Chad Causey and Joey Castrogiovanni work with concert, marching, and jazz bands often. Additionally, The Band House offers to sponsor a day with a respected band director or clinician by request.

The Band House is currently developing a plan to create an elementary music program in the Shreveport/Bossier area external to the school system. We want to make music available to every kid no matter their economic background. Music is for everyone!

Outreach

The Band House offers horn displays for college music programs. Music Education students need to put their hands on the range of instruments that are available to them when they graduate and become teachers. We bring in a selection of instruments for students to inspect, play, and compare, and bring a team to answer questions about the instruments. These displays are often done in conjunction with a clinic or honor band, but sometimes are simply as a service to our future musicians and music teachers.

Contests

The Band House sponsors the Four States Band Masters Association’s annual convention. The Convention includes clinics for directors, two student concert bands, and a student jazz band. Clinicians include regionally and nationally known composers, conductors, and educators. You can get more information on the clinics, 4 States Honor Bands, and download audition music at www.fourstatesba.org

The Band House also sponsors the annual 4-States Marching Contest held at Tiger Stadium at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. The 4-States Marching Contest is an early contest meant to give early exposure to the bands and give the directors valuable feedback as they begin the cleaning process on their competition shows.

The Band House sponsors the annual Classic on the Cane marching contest held at Northwestern State University. The contest draws bands from across Louisiana and Texas, providing an exciting day of excellent high school bands, culminating in a performance by the Spirit of Northwestern. The Band House sponsorship pays the entry fees for the competing bands, allowing groups to participate that might not be able to otherwise.

The Band House hosts performances and recitals for the Bossier Parish Talented Arts Program. When attending a local Talented Arts recital one night, it became apparent that too much of the weight of the equipment management was sitting on the shoulders of the individual lessons instructors. The Band House offers our stage, sound system, cameras, and youtube channel at no cost to any local music teacher that wants to use them.

Clinics

The Band House sponsors professional musicians and clinicians for area schools as often as possible. With the help of Conn-Selmer, The Band House has been able to bring in clinicians to work with area jazz ensembles and perform with both student groups and the Bill Causey Orchestra in free concerts. Clinicians and performers have included saxophonist Jessy J, lead trumpet Mike Williams, Tom “Bones” Malone, and Hammond B3 phenom Dennis Montgomery.

With the help of Yamaha and their Sounds of Summer program, The Band House sponsors a major clinician (such as Tom Aungst, Mike McIntosh, Colin McNutt, Jim Yakas) each summer at Northwestern State University. The NSU Summer Music Camps provide an opportunity for young musicians to experience a nationally recognized artist and educator in an open environment that allows for personal interaction and instruction. The camp also provides students a chance to experience college level instruction by a top-notch college staff.

Meet The Teams