Ryan Grant

Ryan Grant is currently in his 10th year of teaching at Victory Christian School. He started as assistant band director in 2002 and was promoted to head band director in 2006. Mr. Grant directs the Conqueror Marching Band, Concert Band, Middle School Band, String Class, and Elementary Band. Under his guidance, his bands have been awarded superior ratings. Mr. Grant’s students have also been selected to participate in the Oklahoma All-State Band, EDBDA All Region Honor Band and have received numerous superior ratings for both solos and ensembles.

Mr. Grant is a native of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada and graduated with honors from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor of Music Education in 2002. While at ORU, he studied trombone under Dr. Stan George and Doug Fletcher. He also studied conducting under Dr. Marilyn Carver and Ron Wheeler. His professional affiliations include Oklahoma Bandmasters Association , Oklahoma Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Mu Phi Epsilon and he is past Honor Band Chair for the Oklahoma Eastern District Band Directors Association. He has been married for 9 years to his wife Cara, who teaches Music at Northeast Elementary School in Owasso. They reside in Owasso with their dog Daisy, cat Miette, and rabbit Pepper.

Lee Hartman

Mrs. Lee Hartman is in her 11th year of service with Victory Christian Center and Victory Christian School. She started as the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager for Victory Music Ministries after moving here from Carrollton, Texas (a suburb of Dallas) in 2001 right after 9/11. She then served for 1½ years as the Administrative Assistant to the Principal of Victory Kids and the Early Learning Center, Mr. Garry Miller. In 2003, Lee was asked to take over as the Administrative Assistant to the Victory High School Principal, Mr. Mark Baumann. It was during that time that Mr. Bauman urged her to get her previous teaching certifications and credits from Kansas and Texas transferred to Oklahoma, and encouraged her in taking the necessary tests for those certifications and even more!

In 2004, Mrs. Hartman began teaching at the Victory High School level in Computers 1, 2, and 3 including web page design, and added an Introduction to Business class under her direction in 2005 to start training VCS students in Business Education. It was during that time that Mrs. Hartman also started volunteering additional time in assisting the current Band Director, Mr. Bill Wheeler, the Assistant Director, Mr. Ryan Grant, and Mrs. LeAnne Freeseman, VCS High School and Middle School Vocal Music Teacher, and Melanie Grim, Elementary Music Teacher, by playing the piano accompaniment for various solos and ensembles for District and State level contests, and special numbers for various concerts.

In 2007, Mrs. Hartman transitioned out of the Victory computer classes and moved into position as the Assistant Band Director, alongside Mr. Grant, Head Director, as well as retaining various business education courses. Additionally, in 2009, she added teaching the State-required Personal Finance class to her teaching schedule, and has also add a new “Bible Foundations” class in 2011, in conjunction with her continued duties in this her 5th year as the Assistant Director of Bands. Lee has continued to provide the piano accompaniment for many solos and ensembles in both the instrumental and vocal departments at Victory at both the District and State level competitions as needed many receiving Superior ratings, as well as for concerts and other special musical events.

Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Mrs. Hartman graduated magna cum laude from Wichita State University, home of “Wu-Shock” and “The Shockers” in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Music Education, along with a minor in Music Theatre. Also in 1980, she was elected to the “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges”. She was active in the Concert Band, Orchestra, A capella Choir, Madrigals, served as the accompanist for many of the school’s choirs, ensembles, and soloists (both instrumental and vocal), in addition to being a piano and education major. Lee was exposed to many different teaching styles under the direction and tutelage of Dave Carton, Dr. Donald Corbett, Dale Kennedy, J.C. Combs (an internationally acclaimed percussionist, composer and arranger), Dr. Harrison Boughton, Dr. Ken Staley, Dr. Mary Kiesgen, Robert Roux, Dr. Richard Welsbacher (a nationally known thespian), and worked intensively with a graduate student at the university at that time, Elizabeth Hoch (now an internationally acclaimed opera coloratura). Lee was named the “Outstanding Sorority Woman on Campus” in 1979 and to the “WSU Senior Honor Five Women” (the top 5 Women on Campus) in 1980.

Upon graduation, Lee taught in the Wichita Public School system for 2 years and started working on a Masters degree prior to moving to the Dallas area. While in Texas unable to find a teaching job due to the timing of her move after school sessions had started, she worked as the Administrative Assistant to the CEO of a large executive suite and real estate business while taking many additional business and marketing courses at various local community colleges, graduate level courses at Southern Methodist University, and “telecommuter” graduate courses (which was just a newly-introduced concept) offered by Wichita State University.