Six Harrison High School band members have been selected by the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) for 2023 All-State Band recognition. They will join top high school musicians from throughout Georgia for a three-day music education, development, and performance event March 2-4 at The Classic Center in Athens, GA.
Harrison Bands students named to the 2023 GMEA All State Band, including their instrument and grade level, are:
Daniel Banstetter, Clarinet, 11
Ainsley Collier, Clarinet, 12
Connor Naylor, Trumpet, 11
Huijin So, Flute, 9
Anna Ussery, Trumpet, 10
Carl Anderson, Bari Sax, 12, alternate
“These outstanding Harrison Bands musicians have demonstrated both perseverance and talent in earning this honor,” said Josh Ray, director of bands at Harrison High School in Kennesaw. “Qualifying requires achieving excellence in a competitive, multi-step audition process. But even before that, these musicians invested countless hours in lessons, rehearsals, and performances to reach this level. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to these musicians and their supportive families.”
During the All-State Band weekend, outstanding high school musicians from throughout Georgia participate in development workshops, rehearsals and concert performances. Noted guest conductors guide the bands through all activities and performances.
Did you know that by shopping with Publix and Kroger, you, your family and friends can support Harrison Bands?
That’s right, each of these retailers offers a rebate program to support non-profit organizations like Harrison Bands. All it takes is signing up for the program, designating your registered charity, and making normal purchases. Based on your registered purchases, the retailers send a small percentage of your regular purchases to your favorite non-profit.
Harrison Bands earns more than $2,000 annually from these programs — at no cost to you!
In 2018 and 2019, Harrison Bands earned more than $2,000 annually from these programs. And since the start of the Publix program, the band has received more than $25,000 in contributions as a result of our registered shoppers.
How to Register
Each program operates a little differently. For Kroger and Publix, you simply register through their shopper loyalty program, select Harrison Bands as your designated charity, and enter in your loyalty card number at purchase. Everything else is automatic. Publix does require an annual registration, so each July, return to your loyalty program page and re-enlist.
All the Details
Visit each of these links to get more details, sign-in and select Harrison Band Boosters as your designated charity:
Simply follow the instructions for creating a digital account or signing in to your current account, and link Kroger Plus card to our organization. You will be prompted to search for your organization – make sure to select HARRISON HIGH SCHOOL BAND BOOSTER
Follow the instructions for joining Club Publix or logging in if your are already a member. In the settings for your account, scroll down to Publix Partners and click the button labeled “Choose Publix Partners.” Make sure to search for and select Harrison High School Band Boosters – Kennesaw, GA. Don’t forget to save your changes.or sign in to your Kroger loyalty account, then select Harrison High School Band #17537
More Easy Fundraising
Check out our About Fundraising page for more ideas and resources for raising funds.
Find any of our active sign-up opportunities here. We update this list regularly. Scroll down to see all opportunities or use our category buttons below to jump to a specific section.
Tickets are now available for our annual Night of Jazz on Feb. 16. Ticket sales plus our silent auction are fundraisers for the entire band. Tickets include a dessert from band sponsor Douceur de France.
Food and Meals: Make Purchases or Sign-Up to Provide Items
The Harrison Bands faculty and staff includes an accomplished and nationally-recognized group of music educators dedicated to supporting all our band students in advancement of their selected musical skills. Our staff participates in — and often leads — a variety of music, performance and other professional development programs that help create a consistent, proven and up-to-date learning environment for all our band program participants.
Mr. Ray joined the Harrison faculty as the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Jazz Ensembles in 2007. He became the Director of Bands in 2012. Mr. Ray has served the band program as a co-lead teacher with all three concert ensembles, assisted with the fall percussion class, three Jazz Ensembles, and served as the Lead Visual Instructor for the nationally acclaimed Harrison Marching Band.
Originally from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Mr. Ray graduated with a Bachelor degree in Music Education with a concentration in Trumpet from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Ray has experience as a performer with Southwind (Trumpet) and Madison Scouts (Mello) Drum and Bugle Corps. He student taught with David Gorham at the nationally acclaimed Owasso High School Band program, a Sudler Flag of Honor program.
Josh is an active brass adjudicator and instructor for various ensembles in Georgia. Mr. Ray has conducted ensembles performing in state and national in-service conferences including the Midwest Clinic, and the Georgia Music Educators Convention. He is an AP certified Music Theory instructor who also serves as adjudicator, brass specialist, and guest conductor across the state of Georgia. He is affiliated with professional organizations that include: NBA, MENC, and GMEA. Mr. Ray and his wife reside in Dallas, GA. Email Mr. Ray.
Mr. Grogan joined the Harrison band Faculty as the Assistant Band Director in 2012. He received his Bachelor’s degree cum laude in Music Education from Georgia State University. During his time there he studied trombone with Dr. Cory Mixdorf and conducting with Dr. Robert Ambrose. He was a member of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Grogan was one of the first drum majors during GSU Marching Band’s inaugural season. He student taught at McEachern High School in Cobb County with Mr. Jeff Harper and at Young Middle School with Mr. Robert Jeffrey in the Atlanta Public School System.
Before attending Georgia State, Mr. Grogan graduated with a degree in communications from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he marched with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band for four years. While at Tennessee he studied trombone with Mr. Don Hough and was a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society fraternity.
Mr. Grogan received his Master of Music in Music Education cum laude from the University of Florida in 2017.
Mr. Grogan is an alumnus and former drum major of Harrison High School and has been a staff member for the Harrison Marching Band since 2004. Email Mr. Grogan.
Former Harrison Band Directors:
Mr. John Abert (1991-1996) Dr. Scott Weiss (1993-2000) Dr. Chester Phillips (2000-2007) Mr. Mac McMillian (2005-2006) Mr. Stephen Meyer (2007-2010) Mr. Chris Parks (2010-2011) Mr. Daniel Cuevas (2010-2012) Dr. David W. Vandewalker (1996-2012) Mrs. Krista Berezo (2012 -2013) Mr. Jack Walker (2013-2014) Mr. Shaun Evans (2014-2017) Ms. Maria Phillips (2017-2018)
After graduating with a degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Jeff returned to UMass and earned his master’s degree in Percussion Performance. At the University, he worked as a graduate assistant to Thom Hannum, taught and arranged for the Sudler Trophy-winning Minutemen Marching Band percussion section, as well as teaching percussion techniques classes and taking on other arranging and organizational responsibilities within the percussion studio.
Since 1997, Jeff has written for and taught numerous high school marching, indoor, and concert percussion groups in Massachusetts and throughout New England. He has also been actively involved with Drum Corps International since 1997 as a performing member with the Boston Crusaders and the Crossmen, as a percussion technician for The Troopers, Magic of Orlando, The Madison Scouts, and The Blue Stars, and as a show designer and percussion arranger for the Targets Drum and Bugle Corps from Springfield, MA.
In 2004, Jeff took the job of Director of the Spirit of America Indoor Percussion Ensemble in Orleans, MA, leading them to four consecutive WGI Independent Open Finals appearances including a second place finish in 2005. In conjunction with the indoor group, he also worked as the Percussion Director for the Spirit of America Marching Band. His arranging and coaching helped propel the group to win first place at the 2007 World Association of Marching Showbands Championship in Seoul, South Korea. In addition to teaching and arranging, Jeff has also been an active percussion performer in New England since 2005 playing with groups such as The Berkshire Symphony, The Amherst College Orchestra, the Smith College Orchestra, The Dartmouth Handel Society, and The Manchester Music Festival.
In 2010, Jeff became a Percussion Instructor at Harrison High School. He is a Vic Firth Education Team member as well as an endorser. Email Jeff.
TJ Shaheen, Percussion Instructor
TJ Shaheen
Harrison band alumnus and former drum major TJ Shaheen joined Harrison Bands as a percussion instructor in 2022. He returns to Harrison from North Gwinnett High School in Suwannee, GA, where he served as the Director of Percussion. He is currently on staff with the nationally-recognized Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from Madison, WI. From 2015-2018, TJ performed with the Atlanta Quest organization, and led the front ensemble as section leader from 2017-2018. He joined the front ensemble staff there in 2019.
At Harrison, Shaheen was a percussionist, pianist, and drum major. He was graduated from Georgia State University, where he completed a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis on percussion performance. While attending, he was a member of the GSU Panther Band in their “Rock Band” ensemble, as well as a performing member of the Wind Ensemble, a principal percussionist with the Symphony Orchestra, and performing member of the Percussion Ensembles. In 2018, he and a colleague, Bryan Wysocki, performed Baljinder Sekhon’s Double Percussion Concerto through the Brumby Concerto Competition.
In addition to his work with North Gwinnett and Atlanta Quest, TJ has also worked with other high schools in the area, including Harrison HS, North Paulding HS, Mountain View HS, South Forsyth HS, Denmark HS, Chattahoochee HS, Cherokee Charter School, and Wheeler HS through their marching band, concert band, and indoor percussion ensembles. He is a performing member of the Atlanta Percussion Ensemble and the Atlanta Steel Collective and currently resides in Marietta, GA. Email TJ.
Corey Hawkins, Guard Coordinator
Corey Hawkins
Corey began his marching band career in 2003, at Marietta High School, as a percussionist, marching bass drum until he graduated in 2006. He attended Jacksonville State University, and was a member of the Marching Southerners’ Color Guard. Corey marched with Atlanta CorpsVets Drum Corps, and was a primary weapon. He has also marched with many Winter Guard organizations, including Calico Winter Guard, Atlanta CorpsVets Winter Guard, and Paramount World Winter Guard.
He has enjoyed a successful teaching career in the Marching Arts, coordinating and directing many programs in the Atlanta Metro area. He directed the Douglas County HS Colorguard from 2011-2016, Carrollton HS from 2016-2018, Woodland HS from 2021-2022, and Reverie “A” from 2018-2022.
He is currently the Director of his very own independent winter guard, Noir Independent.
Corey has worked with North Cobb HS, Roswell HS, Allatoona HS, Paulding County HS, Lithia Springs HS, Mt. Zion HS, New Manchester HS, McEachern HS, Wheeler HS, South Forsyth HS, Chattahoochee HS, Marietta HS, North Gwinnett HS, and Villa Rica HS.
Jeff Hope: Battery percussion instructor Corey Hawkins: Color Guard & Winter Guard coordinator TJ Shaheen: Front Ensemble arranger and instructor
Freddy Martin: Band Director, Brass Caption Head for Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps Tyler Elvidge: Music Ed Student at KSU, trumpet performer with Cavaliers Brittany Mori: Band director at Lost Mountain Middle School Matt Segars: Band director at Durham Middle School
Studio Artists/Instructors
Anne Gordon, Flute (M.M. University of Georgia) Lisa Sayre, Oboe (M.M. Louisiana State University) Susan Brough, Clarinet (M.M. University of Georgia) Shelly Unger, Bassoon (D.M.A. University of Georgia) Jennifer Marotta, Trumpet (M.M. Northwestern University) Chris Watkins, Trumpet (M.M. Manhattan School of Music) Mike Diblasi, Trombone (B.A. Indiana University) Mark Burroughs, Low Brass (M.M. Indiana University) Bernard Flythe, Low Brass (M.M. University of Michigan)
Instructional Guests:
John Howell: BOA/DCI Judge Thom Hannum: Battery percussion writer, Percussion Coordinator for Carolina Crown Jodie Rhodes: BOA Judge, Band Director in Texas Wes Cartwright: Program Design and Consultant, Visual coordinator for Broken Arrow Scott Toosley: Program Design and Consultant Leon May: Drill Designer, Visual design for Carolina Crown Don Hill: Music Arranger, Music design for Phantom Regiment Colton Hines: Electronics/Sound Amplification/Percussion Instructor from Oklahoma
If you’re a fan of dance, choreography, acrobatics and drill routines, don’t miss the independent winter guard exhibition scheduled Jan. 29 at Harrison HS.
A total of 10 local and regional independent squads will perform their 2023 routines in an open exhibition from 1-3 pm on Jan. 29. There’s also an open practice session by Paramount Winter Guard from 9 am to 12 pm. Tickets are only $5 for the event, and can be purchased in advance, online at Go Fan.
A total of 20 Harrison High School band students have received 2023 District 12 Honor Band recognition.
Those named to the District 12 Honor Band from Harrison Bands are listed below, with their instruments and current grade level:
Abbey Amos, French Horn, 9
Carl Anderson, Bari Sax, 12
Daniel Banstetter, Clarinet, 11
Ainsley Collier, Clarinet, 12
Blake Dwelle, Alto Sax, 12
A.J. Enahora, Trumpet, 10
Katie Ferrell, Alto Sax, 10
Magdalene Forester, Trumpet, 12
Susan Henson, French Horn, 10
Katherine Murray, Clarinet, 10
Connor Naylor, Trumpet, 11
Carlos Santa, Trumpet, 11
Georgia Smith, Flute, 11
Gracie Snider, Alto Sax, 10
Huijin So, Flute, 9
Anna Ussery, Trumpet, 10
Lyndsey Williams, Clarinet, 11
Recognized as alternate members of the District 12 Honor Band are:
Karl Christiansen, Tenor Sax, 12
Jonathon Richards, Trumpet, 10
Lauren Sanford, Oboe, 10
To qualify for District Honor Band, students participate in comprehensive competitive auditions that challenge their individual skill and musicianship. Once selected, District Honor Band honorees will participate in music workshops and rehearsals over the weekend of February 3-5, 2023, including a performance by the Honor Band on Sunday, Feb. 5.
