Voting will occur via OPUS from January 11 - January 24, 2023
Band Division Chair
Sean McBride
Sean McBride has been the Director of Bands at South Effingham High School since 2004 and has taught in Effingham County since 1999. Under his direction, the South Effingham Band program has grown to over 175 students offering three concert ensembles, a jazz band, the award-winning Marching Mustangs, a percussion ensemble, a steel band, various small ensembles, two winter guards, and a pep band. Under Mr. McBride’s direction, the South Effingham ensembles have consistently received superior rations and various awards at area and regional events. South Effingham Band students have consistently placed into the Georgia Music Educators Association District I Honor Band and the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band and Orchestras.
The South Effingham Wind Ensemble has won many accolades and honors since the school’s inception in 1996. The Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University chose the Wind Ensemble as an Honor Band of Georgia in 2011. The Georgia State University School of Music chose the Wind Ensemble to participate in the Georgia Bands of Distinction in February 2014. The Wind Ensemble was a guest-performing ensemble for the University of Georgia’s January High School Band Festival in 2008 and 2013. In 2021, the SEHS Wind Ensemble was an Invited Ensemble at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festiva. The SEHS Wind Ensemble was chosen to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 2014 held in Savannah, Georgia.
Mr. McBride graduated with his Bachelor of Music Education in 1996 and Master of Music Education in 1999 from the University of Georgia. Mr. McBride graduated with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Boston University in 2018. Mr. McBride studied conducting with Dr. John Culvahouse, Dr. H. Dwight Satterwhite, Dr. Pierce Arrant, and Mr. Mark Cedel while at UGA. Mr. McBride studied trumpet with Dr. Edward Sandor and Dr. Moffatt Williams. Mr. McBride is very grateful to his first band directors and mentors, Mr. Duane Grewe and Mr. Bill Toovey, for their hard work, dedication, and love of music and students.
Mr. McBride has served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator around the state of Georgia. Mr. McBride serves as GMEA District I organizer for All-State auditions and the 11-12 Honor Band. Mr. McBride served as the District 1 Band Chair from 2020-2022. Mr. McBride served on the GMEA Music Selection committee and chaired the committee in 2016 & 2017. Currently, Mr. McBride is a member of the GMEA All-State Committee. Mr. McBride is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Education Association, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Delta Pi. Mr. McBride received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence in 2008, 2013, and twice in 2014. Mr. McBride has been named a Savannah Morning News Teacher of Excellence in 2006, 2007, and 2011. Mr. McBride was named a WTOC Top Teacher in 2018. In addition to his teaching activities, Mr. McBride has been the director of the Savannah Bananas Pep Band since its inception in 2017. The Bananas Pep Band tours the country with the Savannah Bananas and has appeared on ESPN. Mr. McBride lives with his wife, Melissa, and their sons, Alex and Patrick in Rincon, Georgia.
David Roth
David Roth joined the faculty at Kell High School as the Assistant Director of Bands in 2008 and was named Director of Bands in 2011. Under his direction, the Kell Wind Ensemble has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Music For All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival, GMEA State Convention, January High School Music Festival (JanFest) in Athens, GA, and the Southeastern United States Honor Band Festival at Troy University. The Kell Marching Band is also a consistent finalist and award winner in contests across the southeast. In 2010, the Kell Wind Symphony performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the marching band won two BOA Regional Championships. Prior to joining the Kell program, Mr. Roth was the Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School where he conducted the Kennesaw Mountain Wind Symphony at the 2006 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and was a part of multiple BOA regional championship marching bands between 2004-2008.
A native of Marietta, Georgia, Mr. Roth graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Music Composition, earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, and earned his Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction from Berry College. He was a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 2000-2003, serving as the corps’ drum major from 2001-2003. While a member of Carolina Crown, he helped found the Carolina Crown Student Leadership Task Force, an initiative aimed at enhancing the level of student leadership within the corps that is still in effect today.
Mr. Roth is currently an active clinician, guest lecturer, adjudicator, and music arranger across the Southeast. His professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Georgia Music Educator’s Association, Music Educator’s National Conference, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Mr. Roth lives in Kennesaw, GA with his husband Jeff, and nine-year-old son Jacob.
Choral Division Chair
velma page jenkins
Velma Page Jenkins, a native of Tampa, Florida, is a recent graduate of Piedmont University, where she earned an Education Specialist in Music Education Degree. She also graduated from the University of Georgia, earning a Master of Music Education degree with an emphasis in choral studies with distinction. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in flute performance and a minor in psychology from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. She studied flute with Anne Reynolds and Barbara Giesler in the Fall of 2004 in Vienna, Austria, and voice with the late Dr. Stanley Irwin. Mrs. Jenkins is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon International Fraternity of Music, Georgia Music Educators Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. During her teaching tenure, her choral ensembles have consistently earned excellent and superior ratings at Large Group Performance Evaluation. In recent years her students have participated in Governor’s Honors Program, GMEA All-State Chorus, District Honor Chorus, Fayette All-County Honor Chorus, UGA High School Choral Day, Georgia State University Singfest, Clayton State University High School Choral Festival, other various honor ensembles including the All-City Chorus alongside the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Under her direction, the Sandy Creek High School Advanced Women’s Chorus was featured in concert at the 2020 GMEA In-Service Conference. Velma began her teaching career at North Atlanta High School in Atlanta Public Schools and served as the business manager of the APS High School Honor Chorus. She successfully organized and hosted District V Middle and High School Chorus LGPE for several years. This year she hosted the All-State Chorus Region 3 First Audition. At Sandy Creek High School, she serves as the Literary Coach, co-sponsor of their Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the PLC Leader for her department. When she is not working hard at Sandy Creek High School, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her loving husband and two beautiful daughters.
Richard prouty
Richard Prouty is in his twenty-second year of teaching high school choral music. Passionate about advancing music education across our state, he has served as GMEA Vice President of Performance Evaluations and District 6 Choral Chair (multiple terms). Under his direction, choirs have consistently earned superior ratings in both performance and sight reading at Large Group Performance Evaluation. Students in his program are also regularly selected for GMEA All State Chorus, Governor's Honors Program, and All County Honor Chorus.
Prouty’s choirs have traveled extensively throughout his career with performances at Carnegie Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. John’s Cathedral in New York City, Disney Candlelight Processional and several collegiate invitational performances throughout the state of Georgia. His choirs have also toured internationally with performances in England, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and France. He is active in the the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Educators, and Georgia Music Educators Association.
Prouty completed his Undergraduate Degree in Music Education from Georgia Southern University. After starting his teaching career, he went on to complete his Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from the University of West Georgia. In addition to teaching, you will find Prouty assisting with his son’s lacrosse team, watching college football, or on a weekend family trip with his family to the mountains in their camper. He lives in Sharpsburg with his wife Heather, son Whit (11), daughter Charlie Faith (4), and their Aussiedoodle Willa!
College Division Chair
josh byrd
Josh Byrd serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the University of West Georgia. His primary responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble, teaching conducting and music education courses, supervising student teachers, and administrating all aspects of the UWG band program. Prior to his appointment he served as Director of Bands at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin and Assistant Director of Bands at Lanier Middle School and Norcross High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Dr. Byrd received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting and a minor in Music Theory from the University of Georgia where he studied with John Lynch. He received his Master of Music degree in Conducting while studying with Tom Dvorak at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia where he studied saxophone with Kenneth Fischer and conducting with Dwight Satterwhite and John Culvahouse.
Dr. Byrd is an active clinician, most recently having presented at the 2017 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, 2018 CBDNA National Conference, and the 2018 GMEA annual In-Service conference both as a clinician and as conductor of the UWG Wind Ensemble. In UWG 2020, the Wind Ensemble performed at the CBDNA Southern Division Conference for the first time in the program’s history. Dr. Byrd is a strong advocate of new music, having been part of numerous commissioning consortiums during his tenure at UWG, including Jamie Thierman’s The Remains, Joseph Schwantner’s Luminosity, David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 10, Viet Cuong’s Bull’s-Eye, John Mackey’s Places we can no longer go and Divine Mischief, Katahj Copley’s Dope, and Jennifer Higdon’s Aspire. He also serves as conductor of the West Georgia Winds, a regional middle school honor band.
His professional affiliations include the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu. Dr. Byrd lives in Carrollton with his wife, Katie, and their two children, Tripp and Haley.
benjamin harper
Benjamin Harper is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Valdosta State University, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, directs the graduate program in wind conducting, and guides all aspects of the university band program.
The Valdosta State University Wind Ensemble is the premiere wind band at VSU, primarily composed of undergraduate music majors and graduate students in performance. Their performances regularly include standard band music alongside music by contemporary composers. VSU faculty are regularly featured as guest artists and previous performances have featured conductor Col. Timothy Holtan, composer Quincy Hilliard, and Barry Green, retired principal bassist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and author of The Inner Game of Music.
A champion of new, accessible music for students and audiences, Harper has been a consortium member commissioning new music from composers of diverse backgrounds, including Viet Cuong, Shuying Li, Julia Wolfe, and Juan Pablo Contreras. Harper is leading a consortium of universities commissioning a new opera for four voices and wind ensemble by Joni Greene based on the White Rose movement, a non-violent, intellectual resistance group led by a group of students in the Third Reich. Launching soon is a consortium led by VSU to commission Atlanta composer William May to write his first full work for wind ensemble. Harper holds multifaceted leadership roles across VSU; he is currently serving as the VSU Vice-President/President Elect. Harper regularly conducts honor bands across the state, and hosts the South Georgia Region Honor Band every April. Harper is an active member of GMEA, NAfME, CBDNA, WASBE, and IGEB.
Prior to serving as Director of Bands, Harper was Director of Athletic Bands at VSU and spent seven years as a high school band director in Iowa. He holds degrees from Iowa State University, The University of Kansas, and Texas Tech University.
Elementary Division Chair
Erika brown
Erika Brown is the music specialist at Big Shanty Intermediate School in Kennesaw, GA where she teaches 3rd – 5th general music and directs the Eagle Chorus, Little Eagle Chorus, and the Drumming Eagles, the school’s drum ensemble. She also taught in San Antonio and Pasadena, Texas and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mrs. Brown received her Bachelor of Music Education from Louisiana State University, Master of Educational Leadership and Technology from Kennesaw State University and is an Orff Schulwerk certified educator.
In addition to her teaching duties, she has presented at conferences across Georgia focusing on the integration of STEM/STEAM in the music classroom as well as the connections between drumming and ELA literacy/fluency. Mrs. Brown is an elementary music teacher leader for the Cobb County School District and is a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the American Orff-Shulwerk Association.
She passionately believes that every child should have access to a quality music education.
heidi long
Heidi A. Long is the music specialist at Cotton Indian Elementary in Stockbridge, Georgia in the Henry County School District. She is passionate about music and teaching. She is a proud graduate of Georgia College and State University where she received her undergraduate, Bachelor of Science in Music Education in 1998. She has earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Walden University in 2007, Leadership add on from Georgia College and State University in 2008, and Specialist degree from Thomas University in Teacher Leadership in 2018.
During her 25-year career she has taught general music elementary school and middle school chorus. Her elementary school choirs are highly respected and have performed in and out of state. She believes students need to be showcased and respected.
Ms. Long has presented professional development and been a mentor for fellow music educators. She was instrumental in creating the Henry County Elementary Honor Chorus, now in its 13th year. She has served as District VI Elementary Chair since 2020. She is active singing in her church and a local community chorus. Ms. Long is a proud and active member of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), and Sigma Alpha Iota, Professional Music Fraternity, Inc.
Orchestra Division Chair
kevin anderson
Born in East Point, GA, and raised in College Park, GA, Mr. Anderson came from a very musical family and realized at an early age that he shared that musical gift. As a double bassist, he started an advanced track of his musical training at Tri-Cities High School, a performing arts magnet school, under the direction of Dr. Bruno Paige, Director of Orchestras. Dr. Paige instilled a love and passion for music, and that spirit of excellence caused him to pursue a career in music education. Mr. Anderson attended the University of Georgia and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education.
After college, Mr. Anderson started his teaching career in elementary string education in Fulton County for 2 ½ years. He then transitioned to Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, GA, where he led all string orchestra classes in grades 5 - 12 for four years. Mr. Anderson returns to the south side of metro Atlanta to continue his teaching tenure in the Fayette County School System. Since 2014, he has been the Director of Orchestras at Bennett's Mill Middle School in Fayetteville, GA.
Mr. Anderson’s focus on excellence leaves a permanent mark on the heart of his students. He is a role model to all and is looked up to by many. Under his leadership, ensembles have consistently received superior ratings at Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation. They have also won Gold/Superior awards at various music festivals in the southeast, including Southern Star, Music in the Parks Festivals, and the Gatlinburg Music Festival. He has also coached and privately taught students that have earned seats in District Honor Orchestras and All-State Orchestras. Recently, his groups have performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference (2017/2019) and the American String Teachers Association National Honor Festival (2018). This school year, he was named the 2022 Teacher of the Year. Mr. Anderson is also an active adjudicator, string clinician, and double bass sectional coach.
Also, a family man, Mr. Anderson resides in Griffin, GA, with his lovely wife, Shanira, his oldest son Joseph Kevin (2009), and his youngest son Joshua Kevin (2013).
ashley culley
Ashley Culley is the director of orchestras at Dodgen Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia. She has been an orchestra director for 24 years with the last 18 years at Dodgen. While at Dodgen, the orchestra program has grown from 190 students to 380 students. She is a Cobb County Teacher Leader for middle school orchestras. Her prior teaching experiences include Kell High School in Cobb County, Georgia and Milton High School, Northwestern Middle School and several elementary schools in Fulton County, Georgia.
Mrs.Culley earned a Bachelor of Music Education with Performance Certificate from the University of South Carolina. While at USC, she worked in the USC String Project. She earned a Master of Music in Cello Performance and a Master of Arts in String Pedagogy from the Ohio State University.
Mrs.Culley is an active performer, clinician and adjudicator. She has performed with several ensembles in the Atlanta area. As an adjudicator and clinician, she has worked with orchestras in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina. In 2009, Mrs.Culley was the conductor of the South Carolina- Midlands Junior Regional Orchestra. In 2020, she was conductor of the South Carolina Junior All-State Orchestra.
Mrs.Culley is a member of A.S.T.A and N.A.f.M.E. She is currently the GMEA District 12 All-State Orchestra chairperson and the GMEA District 12 M.S Honor Orchestra organizer. She has previously served as a member of the G.M.E.A. Orchestra Division Standing Committee and as an organizer for the 9-10 All-State Orchestra. She is currently the Director of Upbeat! String Camps, which has two camp locations.
Mrs.Culley lives in Marietta with her husband, David, and their two daughters.