Recent Accolades for 2022-2023
Mike Walsh recently earned his first-level AVID Pro Tools Instructor Certification, creating an AVID Learning Academy for Audio at Alpharetta HS. According to AVID, Alpharetta is the first high school in GA to earn this. In addition, the audio production program he started at Alpharetta when he stepped off the podium has been successful enough to attract outside attention in the Recording Industry in GA. As a result, he has been asked to serve on a Governor's advisory board for Audio Production Education in GA.
The Dean Rusk Middle School Band, Lloyd McDonald, Director, honored Phi Beta Mu member Ricky Williams with a commissioned piece titled “Living Legacy,” written by Mekel Rogers.
Ricky retired in the spring of 2020 and was unable to have a “grand finale” concert to mark the end of his career. They surprised him with the premiere performance at their Spring Concert in May 2022.
The Brookwood Bronco Marching Band participated in the 134th Rose Parade presented by Honda in Pasadena, CA on January 2, 2023.
Dr Laura Moates Stanley and Jack Jean, Directors.
The Mabry Symphonic Band, Jill Barnocki, Director, will be performing at the “Music For All “ Southeastern Regional.
Jeffrey Rowser - Received the John Philip Sousa Foundation's "Legion of Honor" Award at Midwest and will be inducted into the "National Band Director's Hall of Fame" next month at the University of South Carolina Honor Band event! And his biggest celebration is that he is a grand dad, as of November 2022!!!!
Andy Esserwein was inducted as a Legion of Honor Laureate by the John Philip Sousa Foundation and Bandworld Magazine at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Conference in December.
The Jackson County High School Jazz Band, under the direction of William Kilgore performed at the GMEA In-Service Conference yesterday afternoon.
This fall, the Jackson County High School Marching Band was awarded Grand Champions at the Oconee Classic at Baldwin County High School and also at the Marching Mustang Invitational at South Effingham High School.
The Villa Rica HS Trombone Ensemble (Kevin Brown director) was chosen as a lobby group at the conference this year.
Neil Ruby - Was promoted to a new position this year (formerly Central-Carroll HS) as the Carroll County Schools Fine Arts Coordinator.
Dion Muldrow was selected Apalachee High School Teacher of the Year and Barrow County Schools Teacher of the Year.
John Palmer and the Walton Wind Symphony performed at UGA’s JanFest, and the Walton Band was named a National Band Association Southern Division Blue Ribbon Program of Excellence this fall.
The Frank N. Osborne Middle School Orchestra, assistant director Frank Folds, performed yesterday at the GMEA in-service conference.
The Stephenson HS Trombone Choir, under the direction of Quintin Goins and in conjunction with the Morris Trombone Institute, was the featured guest performers at the Eastman School of Music Trombone Studio Recital in Rochester, NY this past November. They performed individual selections as well as collaborative selections with the Eastman Trombones to create an almost 40 piece Trombone Choir. The Stephenson HS Wind Ensemble performed an outstanding concert at the 73rd University of Georgia January Music Festival (Janfest) and will perform again at the 2023 HBCU-National Band and Orchestra Directors Consortium in March.
The Woodland Wind Symphony performed at JanFest last weekend. Eric Willoughby - is currently serving as the Director. Sheila Smith also conducted a piece on the concert and she is also working half time to support the Woodland band while Michael Kobito is serving Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Kerry Bryant and Dennis Naughton are forming and co-conducting the North Georgia Youth Wind Symphony. The Inaugural season will be Fall 2023. All rehearsals and concerts will be at the Falany Performing Arts Center on the Reinhardt University campus. We aim to make it a premier youth wind band for the region north of Atlanta to the mountains. The band will rehearse and perform solely on Sundays. Auditions are Saturday August 12, 2023. Much more info may be found on our website: NGYWS.org
Bo Sodders - The Pope Wind Symphony performed at the 2023 University of Georgia JanFest.
Andrea Strauss has announced that the Tara Winds has been invited to perform in France, this June at the 23rd Annual Festival de Anches d’Azur, which is in La Croix Valmer. The Festival pays a large portion of the musician expenses! The other two ensembles invited to performer are from Denmark and Canada.
Robert Brown was named STAR teacher for Villa Rica High School last school year. The Villa Rica High School Trombone Sextet performed as a lobby group at the GMEA Inservice his year.
Daniel Kiene was presented the key to the city by the mayor of Richmond Hill for service to the community through music education this past fall.
The South Forsyth Middle School Symphonic Band, under the direction of Andrew Poor, is performing at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival at Georgia State University in March.
Alan and Ginger Armstrong’s middle daughter Kelsey, was named as the choral director at Bass Middle School when it opened in 2021. Now in only their second year of existence, they just completed their first performance at the GMEA convention Thursday night. They are only the second Coweta County Middle School to ever perform at convention so we're extremely proud of her and her kids. Just a proud Papa moment!