SARAH BALL
Sarah Ball is currently one of two orchestra directors at North Gwinnett Middle School in Sugar Hill, GA, a post that she has held since the inauguration of the school (2009) A native of Hendersonville, North Carolina, Mrs. Ball has been teaching orchestra in Gwinnett County Public Schools for a total of 27 years. Currently, the NGMS orchestra program boasts an enrollment of over 560 students in grades 6-8. Orchestras under the direction of Mrs. Ball receive consistent superior ratings at performance evaluations and frequently perform in concert and invitational settings. In 2012 and again in 2024, the NGMS 8th grade orchestra was selected to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association’s In Service Conference. In 2009 and again in 2015, the NGMS Orchestra was the recipient of the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award. In December of 2013, the NGMS Honor Orchestra was one of three middle school orchestras selected internationally to perform at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The NGMS orchestra was also invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2017. As a music department, NGMS was awarded the inaugural Exemplary Program Award from GMEA (2017-18).
Mrs. Ball holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Appalachian State University and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University. She was named the NGMS Teacher of the Year for 2011-12 and, that same year, was selected as the county-wide middle school Teacher of the Year for Gwinnett County Public School. In 2018, Mrs. Ball was chosen as the GA ASTA String Educator of the year. In March of 2023, she was awarded the Elizabeth A.H. Green award at the national ASTA conference in Orlando, Florida. She has served as state treasurer and president for GA-ASTA and is currently the K-12 orchestra curriculum committee chair for the National American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Mrs. Ball has also served on the executive board of National ASTA as a member-at-large. Mrs. Ball has been the GMEA Orchestra Division Chair and GME Vice President for All-State events, and has held school leadership roles as curriculum and department chair at both Lanier MS and North Gwinnett MS. Mrs. Ball has presented professional development sessions at the school, county, state and national level including the national ASTA conference and The Ohio State University String Teacher’s Workshop, and will present at the Habits Institute in Charleston, SC in the summer of 2024. She is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor throughout the United States. She served as conductor of the Kendall Youth Orchestra, a county-wide honor orchestra comprised of students in grades 6-8, for twelve years. Mrs. Ball co-authored a chapter in the book “Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra” by Sandie Goldie, was a contributor for “Teaching Music Through Performance” for Orchestra Volume 4, and was also a contributing author for the book "Inspiring a Love of Music", by Frank Battisti and Scott Rush. She is on the author team for “Habits of a Successful Young String Musician” which is projected to release in spring of 2024 through GIA Publications. Mrs. Ball currently resides in Johns Creek, Georgia with her husband Jerrod, and their cats, Topsy and Turvy.
ANDY ESSERWEIN
Andrew C. Esserwein has been the Director of Bands for Sprayberry High School since 2002 and the Fine Arts Department Chair since 2018. In his role as Director of Bands, Mr. Esserwein oversees a comprehensive program consisting of 3 concert bands, multiple percussion and small ensembles, a marching band that has competed in local competitions as well as regional Bands of America competitions, winterguard units that have participated in the SAPA and WGI circuits, and the Sprayberry Indoor Percussion ensemble that has performed in the GIPA circuit. These bands and performance units have consistently earned Superior Ratings in all activities, been awarded numerous Championships and Best in Class Awards, and performed across the Southeast as well as in Chicago, New York and Washington DC. Students in the Sprayberry Band are consistent members of the GMEA District 12 Honor Bands and the GMEA All-State Bands, as well as productive members in virtually every sport and club at the school. Mr. Esserwein also oversees a dedicated student leadership team and strong parent booster organization, as well as teaching a class in Music Technology and Composition.
A native of Cobb County, Georgia, Mr. Esserwein holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Theory from Furman University. While at Furman, he served as Drum Major of the Furman University Marching Band for 2 years, as well as serving as an active officer in the Gamma Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity.
Mr. Esserwein also holds a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, he served as Graduate assistant with the "Wildcat" Marching Band, and conducted the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Bands.
Mr. Esserwein has studied saxophone with Bob Cowles and Cliff Leamon, and conducting with Les Hicken, Daniel Boda, Stephen Peterson, and John Paynter.
Mr. Esserwein began his career at North Cobb High School in 1995, and served as Assistant Director of Bands. During his tenure at North Cobb High School, the band program tripled in size. Mr. Esserwein assisted with 3 Concert Bands consisting of 260 members, 2 jazz bands, a 180 member Marching Band, as well as supervising various small ensembles and soloists. He was also Associate Conductor of the North Cobb Symphony Orchestra, which performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association State Convention in Savannah, Georgia.
Mr. Esserwein has performed with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, and the Cobb Wind Symphony. He is affiliated with professional organizations which include the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Educators, National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity, and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity. Mr. Esserwein has served as the GMEA District 12 Chairperson for four years and is currently serving for one year in the same position completing the term of an educator who moved out of the classroom. He has been the organizer for the District’s Honor Band Event for over ten years and has served as the coordinator for the scoring and tabulation room at the High School Band State Level All-State Auditions for the past four years. He is also the Webmaster for the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. During COVID, Mr. Esserwein created and implemented a completely online audition process for the Georgia High School and Middle School All-State Band and has continued to work at the state level and with multiple districts across the state to administer Honor Band and All-State auditions in an online environment.
He has twice been chosen as a Star Teacher and has also been selected for Who's Who Among American Teachers two times. In 2018 he was the runner-up for the Fox 5 High Five Teacher of the Year for the state of Georgia and received the GMEA State Volunteer of the Year Award for 2020. In 2022 he was inducted as a Legion of Honor Laureate by the John Philip Sousa Foundation and Bandworld Magazine. He is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the southeast.
Mr. Esserwein and his wife Michelle have one child, Sarah, and live in Canton, Georgia.