Nancy Collier majored in flute and minored in bassoon at the University of Georgia where she studied with Ronald Waln. Additional flute teachers include Betty Shipman Bennett, Warren Little, Mark Stein, Amy Porter, Christina Smith, and Rob Cronin. Additional bassoon teachers include Walter Macijewicz and Truman Harris. Ms. Collier has performed with the Cobb Symphony, the D.C. Community Orchestra, the Montgomery College Orchestra, the Harlequin Dinner Theatre Orchestra, the Nantucket Community Band, the University of Maryland Community Band, the University of North Carolina Wilmington Wind Symphony, the U.S. Army Forces Command Band, the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band and Symphonic Band, the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and the Cobb Wind Symphony. Ms. Collier is a graduate of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Leadership Cobb Class of 2006, has been on the Arts & History Day committees for several Leadership Cobb Classes and has been a member of the Governing Board of the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association. Ms. Collier is a graduate of the Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta Class of 2010. Ms. Collier is the Artistic Director and Flutist of the Arioso Duo, a group that performs at weddings, parties, schools, and receptions. Ms. Collier is the Conductor and Artistic Director of the High Falutin’ Flutes and Bassoons, a student flute choir of middle school and high school flutists and bassoonists, and she is the Double Reed section leader (bassoon) and on the Board of Directors at the Cobb Wind Symphony. Ms. Collier has been involved with fundraising for the Cobb Wind Symphony through the United Arts of Cobb. Ms. Collier teaches private flute and bassoon lessons at her studio in her home and at a studio in West Cobb. Ms. Collier is the former president of the Iota Zeta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, fraternity for women in the field of music, and she is currently a member of the Atlanta Flute Club, the National Flute Association, the International Double Reed Society, MENC, GMEA, and the alumni chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. Ms. Collier is married to Robert Tolton, a clarinet/sax player who is retired from the U.S. Army Band. Mr. Tolton is the Director of Bands at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School.

Ms. Bulock has a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University and a Masters of Music Education from Michigan State University. She has been teaching band since 1991 at all levels 5th-12 grade. After moving to Georgia, Ms. Bulock has taught in Cobb County at Kell High school (3 years) and is currently the director of bands at Palmer Middle School (6 years). Ms. Bulock studied privately with James Heffernan(US Army Band), Linda Bartley (University of Wisconsin)and Kennen White(Central Michigan University). She has taught clarinet and bass clarinet lessons for over 20 years.

Connor R. Sullivan is a Music Education and Composition major at Kennesaw State University. As part of the Euphonium studio, he studies under Dr. Martin Cochran and has studied under Mr. Bernard H. Flythe for many years before college. Mr. Sullivan has performed with many professional and Semi-professional groups, including the Atlanta Wind Symphony, the Georgia Brass Band, the Symphony Without Borders, and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, where he had the opportunity to perform at the renowned Carnegie Hall with guest soloist George Curran. During high school, Connor consistently placed highly in District Honor Bands, Allstate Bands, and the Honor Band of America, where he had the pleasure of working with guest composers John Mackey and Steven Byant, as well as performing with guest soloist Joe Luloff. At Kennesaw State, Connor is an active participant of the Wind Ensemble, Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Trombone Choir, and has also performed with the Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. He is available as a piano accompanist for select recitals or juries at Kennesaw State and teaches both Euphonium and Piano lessons. Mr. Sullivan's compositions range from full Wind Ensemble to solo piano, small brass ensemble, and various other ensembles. At Kennesaw State, he studies composition under Prof. Lawrence Sherr. His piece entitled Duphonium has been premiered with Adam Frey, and the Adairsville High School Band at the 2015 Alabama Honor Band and a piano transcription premiered at the 2015 International Euphonium/Tuba Festival (IETF) again with Adam Frey. He has also won many awards for his compositions, such as for his Brass Quintet piece entitled Race, which was premiered at the 2014 GMEA Conference Composition Competition Composers' Recital.

Caitlin Watts graduated from the University of Georgia in 2013 magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. During her four years in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Mrs. Watts studied under the tutelage of Ms. Angela Jones Reus and participated in the flute studio’s flute choir and several of the university’s performing ensembles (including touring with the UGA Wind Ensemble in Europe). During her time as a member of the Redcoat Marching Band, Mrs. Watts served as Piccolo Rank Leader, Piccolo Section Leader, and Drum Major for the band. Mrs. Watts’ studies included a focus in conducting through the Undergraduate and Graduate Conducting Seminars under the instruction of Dr. John Lynch. As a sophomore, she won the Conducting Apprenticeship Competition awarding her the opportunity to rehearse and conduct the UGA Wind Symphony in concert. After graduating UGA, Mrs. Watts held the position of band director at Creekland Middle School (Gwinnett County) for the past three years. A program of on average 400+ students, Mrs. Watts taught two beginning woodwind classes, seventh grade and eighth grade band classes, and co-taught several extracurricular ensembles. Creekland’s before school Symphonic Orchestra performed at the GMEA Convention in January of 2015. She has been hired as a flute clinician and judge around the metro Atlanta area, including both Gwinnett and Cobb County School Districts. Mrs. Watts moved to the Kennesaw area May 2016 and will be working with the Kell High School Band Program (marching staff and music conservatory) and opening her own flute studio, Grace Notes Studio, LLC. Growing up in Gwinnett County, she has been successfully through the audition process for the District Bands, All State Bands and Orchestras, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Mrs. Watts looks forward to the opportunity to work with beginning through advanced musicians and nurturing a love for music through their flute studies!

Margery Macey, BA, DePauw University, with Honor, has taught students ages 7 and up through adult. She has been teaching privately for 17 years, and her students have performed successfully with All-State Band and Orchestra, Governor’s Honors, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Solo and Ensemble, District Honor Bands, church orchestras, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and in the Atlanta Honors Flute Choir. She loves to work with young flutists, and for twelve years she directed a youth flute choir called Flute Juice Youth Ensemble, which has performed all around Atlanta, including Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Atherton Place Retirement Home, the Atlanta Symphony Decorator Showhouse, Hastings Garden Center, the Galleria Mall, Woodstock Middle School, Rose Creek Library, and The Art Place. A number of her students have won concerto competitions, and many have graduated from college in Flute Performance or Music Education and are now professional musicians. Mrs. Macey has performed with the Silverwinds Flute Trio on Channel 11 TV News, at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Orchid Show, the Atlanta Symphony Associates Encore Group, the Atlanta Flower Show, One Atlantic Center, Hastings Rose Festival, and at private parties, openings, receptions, churches, and weddings. Mrs. Macey founded the Flute Choir of Atlanta in 1990, and it is now a 20 member group of serious adult flutists, who have performed in 8 states, and all across North Georgia, including the Governor’s Mansion, the Bell South Executive Dinner, and five area universities. She has studied with Wallace Mann, former principal flutist with the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., Betty Bennett, former director, Cobb Symphony, Harold Sharp, Former Atlanta Ballet Orchestra flutist, Christina Smith, principal flutist with the Atlanta Symphony, and Kathy Farmer, Principal flutist with the DeKalb Symphony.

Molly Gareau earned her BA in Flute Performance from Xavier University. While at Xavier, she was first chair Wind Ensemble, first chair Orchestra, and was the solo flutist with several chamber groups including chamber choir and chamber orchestra. She also taught sectionals in local Cincinnati schools. Mrs. Gareau continued her flute education by attending summer Institutes to obtain her Suzuki Flute Certification. She relocated to the Washington DC area where she was married, while continuing to teach at a local music studio. In 2007 Mrs. Gareau and her family moved to the Atlanta area and helped teach at Saint Catherine of Siena Elementary school. She is currently teaching with several area high school band programs including Kennesaw Mountain High School, Kell High School, and Harrison High School. At these schools, Mrs. Gareau has run sectionals, woodwind rehearsals, and also judged competitions including the Honor Bands of America and auditions at Lassiter High School. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Gareau is 2nd chair flute in the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra. She has studied with Aletha Helm, Rebecca Andres, Kenichi Ueda, Takeyaki Miyame, and noted "father" of Suzuki flute Toshio Takahashi. She currently resides in West Marietta with her husband and five daughters, the youngest of which has special needs. Mrs. Gareau is open to students of all levels and abilities. She is currently taking new students ages 5 through college and looks foward to bring the joy of flute to her students!

Julie Gerhardt holds positions with the symphony orchestras of Valdosta and Albany, Georgia and has served as a substitute or extra hornist with the Atlanta, Knoxville, South Florida, Quad City, Richmond (IN), Portsmouth (NH) and Georgia Symphony Orchestras and the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra. Julie has also filled a wide variety of roles as a music educator, serving as a middle school band director, marching band technician, horn instructor, brass techniques teacher, and college professor. Having taught private horn lessons since 1996, her horn students have traditionally experienced high degrees of success within their own band programs and at District Honor Band, All-State Band, and Solo/Ensemble Festival. Julie is currently the horn instructor at the University of West Georgia and is the horn instructor for the conservatory programs at Lassiter, Kell, Pope, and Hillgrove High Schools.

Dr. Peter Riggs is the Instructor of Horn at Reinhardt University and Young Harris College. In addition to maintaining a private studio in Atlanta, he also performs as a freelance horn player throughout the Southeast. He received his BM degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL and completed his MM and DMA at the University of Georgia. His primary teachers include Gail Williams, Jean Martin-Williams, Phil Smith, and Bill Barnewitz. He has been featured as a regional artist and presented a lecture on Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1 at the most recent Southeast Horn Workshops.

Brant Blackard is an active performer, clinician and educator, currently teaching percussion in Atlanta, Georgia. A native of Conway, Arkansas, Brant earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He completed his Master’s of Music in percussion performance at the Eastman School of Music along with the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. Brant made his start playing drums for several Arkansas metal bands, and continues to play with various groups as often as possible. While at UCA, Brant served as the Principal Percussionist with both the Wind Ensemble and Conway Symphony Orchestra. Brant is also a featured performer on Blake Tyson’s album, Firefish, released in 2013. Prior to the release of this album, he performed with Dr. Tyson on his 2012 clinic at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. At the Eastman School, Brant was a member of the highly-regarded percussion ensemble, which was featured in a showcase concert at PASIC in 2013, where they premiered three brand new works for percussion ensemble which are now standards of the repertoire. He has performed with Music Nova, Ossia, Sound Exchange and the Eastman Broadband Ensemble, of which he is still a member. As part of the Eastman Broadband Ensemble, Brant has performed at the soundSCAPE Festival in Maccagno, Italy and the VIPA music festival in Valencia, Spain. Brant is also an advocate of new music for the percussion soloist. Among these commissions are Andreas Oeste’s, Absence for solo vibraphone, which was premiered in 2014, and Voyages by Jarryd Elias. In 2014, he was the first place winner of the Great Plains Marimba Competition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He most recently was awarded the Milton Shlesinger Percussion Prize of 2015. Brant’s teachers include Michael Burritt, Bill Cahn, Chip Ross, Leigh Howard Stevens and Blake Tyson.

Andrew Paller is currently the Assistant Director of Bands at McCleskey Middle School and is a graduate of three Cobb County schools including Keheley ES, McCleskey MS and Kell HS. After receiving his BA in Music Education from Kennesaw State University in 2014, Mr. Paller was hired as the Assistant Director of Bands at Pine Mountain Middle School located in Kennesaw, Georgia soon after student teaching there. While at KSU, Mr. Paller studied Saxophone with Sam Skelton, served as Librarian for the universities premier Wind Ensemble, was a guest conductor for the universities Concert Band and studied conducting with Dr. David Kehler. While at Pine Mountain, Mr. Paller was involved in every aspect of the Band Program earning superior ratings in every LGPE performance and maintained an over all program enrollment of almost half of the entire student body. Prior teaching experiences include time spent on staff with the Kell High School and Kennesaw Mountain High School Band Programs where Mr. Paller assisted with their 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015 Bands of America Regional and National Championship titles. Mr. Paller and his wife Anna reside in Acworth, Georgia with their golden retriever Magnolia.

Hollie graduated with her B.M. in Music Performance from Georgia State University and did Graduate studies at the acclaimed Cleveland Institute of Music. As a performer, Hollie has played with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera Orchestra, Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, as well as the Savannah Philharmonic, Johns Creek Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Macon Symphony, Ludwig Symphony, Augusta Symphony, among others. She has been principal trombonist with the Carla Rosa Opera Company U.S. Tour, the Sigmund Romberg Tour, and has performed on several occasions with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, including a four-week tour to Taiwan. Hollie is a founding member and Trombonist with the Midtown Brass and also plays Principal Trombone with the Georgia Brass Band. This past April, she played solo Trombone with the DIVA big band in the show " Maurice Hines is Tappn' thru life" in a 5 week run, presented by the Alliance Theatre. Hollie maintains a private studio of Trombone and low brass students at Lassiter High School, Kell High School, and her private home studio in Marietta, Georgia

After receiving a music scholarship and graduating from Furman University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, emphasis in Trumpet Performance, David Klausman settled back in the metro Atlanta area. David is an active freelance artist in the Atlanta area and a member of the Atlanta Federation of Musicians Local 148-462. He and his wife Lisa own/operate a musical contracting agency called LOVE NOTES that provides musical consultations and music/musicians for wedding ceremonies/receptions, corporate and church functions. David is also a trumpet clinician and has been a guest soloist with many area-performing organizations. In 2002, David was the guest soloist with the Centennial High School Orchestra, Alpharetta, GA. for the Music Educators National Conference in Nashville, TN. David Klausman has had the privilege to perform with the following artists: Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Olivia Newton-John, Lionel Hampton. From 1996 to 1998 David toured the 25th Anniversary Tour playing lead trumpet with the contemporary Christian group TRUTH. While touring with TRUTH, David played with artists Ron Kenoly, “Annointed”, Pat Boone, Sheila E., Dave Boyer, and Babbie Mason. In 1986, David was a founding member of HIS SYMPHONY, INC., a non-denominational ministering music organization. From this organization, David started the VICTORY JAZZ ORCHESTRA, an 18 piece big band that really swings! From 1998-2007, David held the position of Instrumental Music Director for First Redeemer Church in Cumming, Ga. where his duties included playing the trumpet, rehearsing various groups for performances, and writing and arranging music in all styles. His orchestra released an album “The Heart of Worship” in 2005. From 2007 – 2009, David served as Instrumental Music Director at Crown Pointe Community Church in Kennesaw, Georgia. From 2009 – 2013, David was on staff at Eastside Baptist Church as the Instrumental Director. David’s wife Lisa, is a Recording Artist, Worship Leader and vocal group clinician, having released 5 recording projects since 2000. They have 3 sons and 1 daughter and make their home in Marietta, Ga.

As a college student, Phil had the rare opportunity to perform three times at Carnegie Hall as Principal Trumpet with the highly competitive National Wind Ensemble. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University in 2003, and settled down in Atlanta, where he is carving his niche as a performer. Phil has appeared with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and also performs regularly with the Hilton Head Symphony, Macon Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Cobb Symphony, Gainesville Symphony, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Jacksonville (FL) Symphony and Chattanooga (TN) Symphony. In addition to freelancing, Phil maintains an active private lesson studio

Vince Jackson is tuba player living in Kennesaw, GA. He attended Walton High School from 1999-2003 and in that time held principal positions with local District Honor Bands and All State Groups. He was also principal tuba of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony from 2001-2003. While in college, Vince was the principal player in the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and several brass quintets. Has been a regular substitute for the Cobb Symphony (now the Georgia Symphony) since 2003. While also in college, was able to audition and play with the National Wind Ensemble, performing in Carnegie Hall, as the principal tuba for the years 2004 and 2006. In 2006, he was also selected to play principal tuba in the CBDNA Southeastern Regional Band. For the last 13 years, Vince has taught at several of the schools in the metro - Atlanta area, including several schools in Cobb and Cherokee counties as well as some additional work over in the Roswell and Alpharetta area. Has also been a low brass coach for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras (MYSO) of Atlanta from 2009-2013. Vince has had many of his private students to go on to make principal positions in their respective District Bands and All State groups. Several students have gone on to be accepted at major colleges, universities, and conservatories across the country. From 2014-2016, Vince has also been doing some teaching in Texas, just north of Houston in the Woodlands area and has worked with a handful of bands there as well. Once again, he has had several students also place in their local Region and All State groups. Vince has taken some additional tuba studies with Gene Pokorny (principal tuba of the Chicago Symphony) and Warren Deck (former principal tuba of the New York Philharmonic), as well as Mark Barton (principal tuba of the Houston Grand Opera and Ballet) in addition to performing with members of the Atlanta Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, the Canadian Brass, just to name a few.