Marea Franklin is currently the Orchestra Director at Alief Middle School (AMS) in Alief ISD (AISD) and has served in this capacity since 2009.  She has served as the AMS Elective Department Chair, and Middle School Orchestra Lead Teacher for AISD. In addition to her duties as Director of Orchestras, she is also the lead AVID Elective Teacher.  Under Mrs. Franklin’s guidance, orchestras at AMS have consistently received “Sweepstakes” at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading competition and superior ratings at contest. 

Mrs. Franklin grew up in Alief and attended Heflin Elementary and O’Donnell Middle School, where she had the privilege of being a student of Marty Koran who would later serve as a remarkable mentor and friend. Franklin was a member of the Houston Youth Symphony and participated in many All-Region and All-State competitions. 

Mrs. Franklin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance from Baylor University where she was a member of the Baylor Symphony, and performed with the Waco Symphony and San Angelo Symphony. She then ventured to the United Kingdom and attended Royal Holloway, University of London and received a Master of Music Degree in Ethnomusicology. While in the England, she was a member of the Royal Holloway Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra.  She has also performed in Costa Rica and Norway.

As a music educator, Mrs. Franklin is currently a member of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Texas String Teachers Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She is an active judge and clinician. Mrs. Franklin enjoys working with young musicians so that the field of music education will continue to grow.