John Liner is a passionate educator, leader and musician that believes ALL children can learn and achieve greatness. Mr. Liner is presently the Fine Arts Department Chair and Director of Bands at Morton Ranch Junior High School in Katy, TX. A high-energy instructor, Mr. Liner has been named the Teacher of the Year in 2021 for Morton Ranch Junior High School and 2022 for MRJH by the Houston Area Association for Black School Educators. An alum of Berklee College of Music, John is an active member in numerous organizations including TMEA, TBA, TJEA, and NAfME, John Liner’s research has most recently been featured in the Massachusetts Music Journal. Mr. Liner is the founder of the Virtual Band Director Conference, a professional development resource for music educators. To date, the Virtual Band Director Conference has reached over 40 states, 13 countries, 6 continents and is archived via podcast.

Mr. Liner presents to educators nationwide on integrating music of the African Diaspora into their curriculum. His presentations have been featured in six different state music conferences. An advocate for Jazz education, John believes that Jazz is critical to the development of any student-musician.