Shawn Chastain

Shawn Chastain is in his 20th year as Executive Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Wichita (KS) Public Schools, supporting 275+ faculty members who instruct over 25,000 students enrolled in WPS Fine Arts Programs. During this time WPS Fine Arts has received over $30 million in Fine Arts Facility Upgrades, awarded over $5 million in National, State and Community Foundation Grants and been named one of NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education 9 times. Prior to this position, Shawn spent 15 years in the choral music classroom at Wichita Charles Curtis Middle School and Heights High School.  While at Curtis and Heights, Chastain’s choirs consistently received superior ratings at district, regional and state festivals. His select ensembles were awarded exemplary/best-in-class at festivals in Dallas, San Antonio, Breckenridge, Branson, and Chicago. Chastain re­ceived his degrees from Wichita State University, where he has also served a Presser Scholar, Senior Honor Man, guest lecturer, & commencement speaker.

In addition to his educational responsibilities, Shawn is Music Coordinator/Adult & Youth Choir Director at Wich­ita’s Calvary United Methodist Church, Director of the Wichita Choral Society, and ARISE (African Americans Renewing Interest in Spiritu­als Ensemble). Shawn has also directed WSU’s Kodaly Certification Adult Choral Ensemble and the Sedgwick County Jail’s Men’s Ensemble.  He is past president of the Kansas Choral Directors Associa­tion, WSU’s Fine Arts Advisory Board, and past chair of NAfME’s Music Program Leaders Advisory Council. Shawn currently serves as an ex-officio board member of the Wichita Arts Council, Wichita Symphony, Ballet Wichita & Empty Bowls Wichita.

In the summer of 2005, Chastain was selected as one of 15 educators in the United States to participate in the Ful­bright German-American Teacher Linkage Program.  Shawn has received the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Kansas Art Educators Association, Kansas Music Educators Association and Midwest Kodaly Music Educators of America. He is also a 2020 Wichita State University Fine Arts Hall of Fame inductee, 2022 Wichita Public Schools Good Apple award winner, 2024 Outstanding Administrator by the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and 2025 Outstanding Contributor to Bands by the Kansas Bandmasters Association.