About the Mesilla Valley Concert Band
The Mesilla Valley Concert Band was founded in 1987 through the joint efforts of Dr. William Clark, Mr. John Schutz, and Mr. Mike White. First called the Mesilla Valley Community Band, the group began with 30 participants, who answered an advertisement Dr. Clark placed in the local newspaper.​
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The concert band has grown to an ensemble of around 100 performers, ranging in age from 18 to 90, with many full-time musicians and music teachers, local business people, educators, retirees, and students. The band also includes players who have progressed through the New Horizons Band under Dr. Clark.
​The band welcomed their new director, Dr. Michael Mapp, in 2021. Dr. Mapp is currently the Director of Bands of the NMSU Department of Music, and is an alumnus of the same program, who looks forward to continuing the MVCB legacy established by Dr. Clark, Mr Schutz, and Mr. White, by showcasing music made by the community, for the community.
Mr. John Schutz
John Ray Schutz, age 78, passed away peacefully and joined the heavenly band on June 19, 2025, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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John attended New Mexico State University on a trumpet scholarship, earning his bachelor and master’s degrees in music education in 1969/72. John honorably served his country in the New Mexico Army National Guard for seven years.
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Upon graduation, John began his 30+ year journey in education as the Gadsden Junior High Band Director. Moving a bit closer to home, he spent the next 15 years teaching band at Lynn Junior High until 1986, before becoming the Mayfield High School band director. In 1993, John was appointed the first Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts for the Las Cruces Public Schools before retiring in 2006 only to be called back twice to assist the district as LCPS Coordinator/Consultant for Fine Arts. John dedicated himself to expanding arts programs across elementary, middle, and high schools, retiring for the final time in 2017.
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Known for his love of students and music, John inspired countless young musicians throughout his career. From 1982-88, he served as New Mexico State University Pride Marching Band staff as well as clinician and conductor for bands in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky and Mississippi. John, together with life-long friends and colleagues Dr. Bill Clark and Mike White, co-founded the Mesilla Valley Concert Band, where he served as Assistant Director for over 30 years. He also played trumpet for three decades in Ron Thielman's High Society Orchestra, and was active in many civic organizations, including the Dona Ana Arts Council, Downtown Revitalization Committee, and Sunrise Lions Club. He also served as New Mexico Lion's Band Director for several years.
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In lieu of flowers, The John and Diane Schutz Memorial Endowment has been established at New Mexico State University through the Foundation to benefit future music education students.
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Dr. William Clark
William Dempsey Clark (Bill, Doc, Dr. Clark) passed from this life on July 31, 2022, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was 84 years old.
It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Dr. Clark. For many of us, Dr. Clark was not only a music mentor, but a true inspiration for our lives. Not only was he the founder of the Mesilla Valley Concert Band but a true pioneer of music in Las Cruces. He was the Director of Bands at New Mexico State University and he is also responsible for doubling the number of music majors to more than 200 during his eleven years as Department Chair at NMSU. During his time as director of the MVCB he gave over 220 free concerts to over 150,000 people. He also founded the Las Cruces All-City Middle School Honor Band and began the Las Cruces New Horizons Band program. He was named the Las Cruces Citizen of the Year in 1988 and the New Mexico Music Educator of the Year in 1992. In 1993 he was inducted as a member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association, the highest honor bestowed upon professional bandmasters. In 2007, he was inducted into the NMMEA Hall of Fame and received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2015. In 2017 he received the Platinum Music Award given by the New Mexico Music Commission.
The awards and accolades bestowed upon Dr. Clark are numerous, but for all of us, the charm, the wit, the intelligence, and the outright humanity that he displayed are what many remember. To my knowledge, there wasn’t a single person Dr. Clark couldn’t strike up conversation with. He had a way of making every single person feel welcome and, speaking from personal experience, although it felt like hyperbole, he could make anyone feel special. I know that I personally learned a great deal about how to be a band director from him and there are so many others that he endowed with a genuine love of music and music making as evident by the MVCB and countless other teachers and musicians across the globe.
Many of us owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Clark for being a very special part of, not only, our musical education, but our lives. He will be greatly missed.
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- Dr. Michael Mapp
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