AROUND THE STATE New and Transferring Teachers: • Federico Foster, Band Director, Savannah High School • Bryan Teddy Mack, Band Director, New Hampstead High School • Lia Patterson, Band Director, Windsor Forest High School • Michael Simmons, Band Director, Jenkins High School • Alan Weathers, Band Director, Bradwell Institute • Kayla Berrie, Chorus Director & Assistant Band Director, Long County High School • Sarah Fender, Choral Director, West Chatham Middle School • Bakara Nkenge-Hinds, Choral Director, Islands High School • Kaitlyn Baxter, Music Teacher, Pulaski Elementary School • Chreanna Byrd, Music Teacher, Gadsden Elementary School • Susan Gordon, Music Teacher, Thunderbolt Elementary School • Jasmine Hill, Music Teacher, Butler Elementary School • Andrew Medley, Music Teacher, Windsor Forest Elementary School • Lisa Muldrew, Music Teacher, Mattie Lively Elementary School • Kristine O’Malley, Music Teacher, Port Wentworth Elementary School • Sun Min, Piano Teacher, Savannah Arts Academy • The Effingham County Middle School Symphonic Winds has been selected to perform for the 3rd annual Southeastern United States Music for All Regional Concert Festival at Georgia State University in March 2017. The ensemble is comprised of 7th and 8th grade musicians and is under the direction of Tony Murray and Linsday Sandberg. • The Savannah Arts Academy Wind Ensemble has been selected to perform at the 2017 Kennesaw State University Concert Invitational. The group, under the direction of Michael A. Nestor, will perform at KSU’s Bailey Performance Center in February 2017.
• In 2013, NAfME and the Grammy Foundation developed the Grammy Education Award to recognize significant contributions of music educators to the music profession. Three district four band directors have been named Grammy Education Award Quarter Finalists. These directors are: David High – Lithonia High School Jason Smith – Newton High School Don Lee - DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment • Southwest DeKalb High School Wind Symphony, under the direction of James O Seda, has been selected to play at the 2017 January Festival at the University of Georgia. • The Decatur HS Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Robert Truan, was selected to play at the MFA Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival at Georgia State University. • The St Pius X Symphonic Band, directed by Chad Paetznick, traveled to Ireland April 2-9, 2016 during their spring break. The band performed four concerts: Mon April 4th in Galway at St Patrick’s Brass Band Hall (with the St Patrick’s Brass Band), Tuesday April 5th in Limerick at St Mary’s Cathedral (with the Limerick School of Music Orchestra), Thursday April 7th in Cork at the C.I.T. School of Music, and Friday April 8th in Dublin at the Artane School of Music (with the Artane Concert Band). The band also toured many important religious and other historic sites, such as Balintubber Abbey, Holy Cross Abbey, Trinity College (Book of Kells), Knock Shrine, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Blarney Castle (home of the Blarney Stone), and Cliffs of Moher. • St Pius X Symphonic Band is commissioning a modern band work from famed rock guitarist/ film composer Page Hamilton to be premiered in early 2017. New to District Four: • Michelle Gibson will be teaching Band and Chorus at Chamblee Middle School. She is a graduate of UGA with clarinet as her major instrument. She previously taught general music and chorus in Fayette County. •Calvin Morris is joining Stephenson High School as the new Assistant Band Director. • District 7 would like to welcome the following directors: Todd Corley at Coosa Middle, Mike Bright at Pepperell High, Rosemary Dixon at Dobbins Middle, Geana Gault at Hiram High, Aaron Toft at Paulding County High, and Aaron Garland at Ringgold Middle. • The South Central Middle School Honor Band will be one of the guest performing bands at the South Eastern United States Honor Band Festival held at Troy University on December 2, 2016
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georgia music news // fall 2016