Candidate for FBA President-Elect
Jeff Cayer
J
eff Cayer is in his first year as
He has served two terms as chair-
director of bands at Marshall
man of FBA District 12. He has served
City. Prior to joining the Marshall
in multiple facets such as junior high/
Middle Magnet School in Plant
staff, Mr. Cayer served as director of bands at Southwest Middle School
in Lakeland from 1995 to 2016 and Woodrow Wilson Middle School in South Tampa from 2016 to 2021. Over his 27 years of public school teaching,
Mr. Cayer’s bands have consistently earned superior ratings at concert and
jazz band music performance assess-
ments.
Early in his career, Jeff collabo-
the Florida Bandmasters Association middle school representative and state jazz chairman. He was also a
member of the Clinics, MPA, and Adjudicator committees. Jeff serves
as secretary of FBA District 7 and is an active adjudicator and clinician around the state. He has conducted numerous honor bands in both jazz
and concert settings and directed the 2016 Florida All-State Middle School
Band. Jeff serves as the jazz adjudica-
rated with a colleague to create the Polk Jazz Festival,
tor trainer for the state of Florida, where he is responsi-
musicianship at the middle and high school levels.
has presented many FMEA and FBA clinics on a broad
which sought to encourage the development of jazz
This program later evolved into the Polk County Jazz Showcase, an event that celebrates the diversity of
jazz ensembles in Polk County. Jeff was recognized as Southwest’s Teacher of the Year and was honored with the Chris Keehn Spirit of Teaching Award. During
his years at Southwest Middle School, Mr. Cayer also
ble for the approval and renewal of jazz adjudicators. Jeff
scope of topics, including Jazz Band Literature Selection,
Teaching Students With Exceptionalities in the Band Room, and a preconference event entitled Crossing the
Divide, focused on retention of middle school band students as they enter high school.
In Mr. Cayer’s free time, he enjoys competing on the
created an Elementary School Band experience, which
professional barbecue circuit; restoring classic cars; and
opportunity to explore band in a nine-week, before-
dren. His wife, Jennifer, is also a career educator, spe-
allowed fifth grade students at his feeder schools the school ensemble. In 2013, Mr. Cayer was selected as a
national quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Foundation Music Educator Award.
Jeff earned the BME from Florida Southern College
in Lakeland in 1995 and the MEd in educational lead-
ership from Southeastern University in 2010. He was recognized as the Outstanding Master’s Graduate in
December 2010. He is pursuing the EdD in educational leadership at Florida Southern College.
8 F l o r i d a
Music Director
spending time with his wife, children, and grandchilcializing in gifted education and television production.
His daughters, Denise and Ashley, are both all-state French horn players and continue to enjoy music. Denise is a music educator in Polk County, and her husband,
Daniel, is director of bands at St. Paul Lutheran School.
Ashley received her doctorate in occupational thera-
py, and her husband, Austin, is an engineer with Con
Edison. Jeff is an active member in FBA, FMEA, NAfME, Alpha Chi, and Phi Beta Mu.
